President Lee Myung-bak met with Algerian and Turkmen leaders separately Friday to discuss closer cooperation in natural resources and infrastructure development on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, Cheong Wa Dae said.
Lee arrived in Beijing in the morning for a two-day visit. He is the first South Korean head of state to attend an Olympic opening abroad.
He also joined with other leaders, including U.S. President George W. Bush, in a welcome lunch hosted by Chinese President Hu Jintao.
During the luncheon, Lee encountered North Korea”s No. 2 leader Kim Yong-nam.
But it was not known immediately whether Lee spoke to Kim, chairman of the North Korean Supreme People”s Committee, in their first encounter.
During a summit with Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Lee proposed that the two countries further expand cooperation through joint oil and gas exploration projects, the presidential office said.
Lee asked the Algerian leader to support South Korean firms in the African nation”s forthcoming international bid for a joint oil and gas project, it said.
