President Lee and U.S. President Barack Obama held their first mini-summit on Apr. 2 (London time).
Obama greeted Lee in Korean and said he admired Lee''s outstanding leadership at home and abroad. He went on to say that the Korea-U.S. alliance and their friendship have continuously strengthened, and stressed that the alliance will be strengthened even more for the duration of his presidency.

Lee emphasized how close the Korea-U.S. alliance is and said that Obama-led decisive and preemptive measures will help rejuvenate the U.S. and the world economies.

The two presidents raised a united voice, saying that all countries should join hands to expand fiscal spending and free trade in ways to surmount the financial crisis.

They promised to work together to bring to an end North Korea''s nuclear program in a verifiable manner and never to allow the communist state''s possession of nuclear weapons or nuclear proliferation.

The leaders said they would seek both pressure and dialogue in dealing with North Korea through the six-party talks and the UN Security Council.

President Obama said he understood Lee''s efforts for the Korea-U.S. FTA and added that he also has a strong will to advance the FTA talks. President Lee said that the so-called KORUS FTA is significant not only economically, but also in terms of the bilateral alliance.

Rounding of the half-hour meeting, President Obama asked Mr. Lee to visit the United States in June, and Lee accepted the invitation, presidential spokesman Lee Dong-kwan said.