▲ National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Oct. 6 (Yonhap) -- National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik was set to depart on a four-nation trip to Europe on Tuesday to discuss economic and industrial cooperation.

Cho plans to visit Italy, Vatican City, Croatia and Greece over nine days on his first overseas trip since taking office in June.

In Italy, he is scheduled to meet with Lorenzo Fontana, president of the country's Chamber of Deputies, and Gian Marco Centinaio, vice president of its Senate, on Wednesday to discuss expanding exchanges between the countries' parliaments and supporting economic and industrial cooperation.

In Vatican City, he is scheduled to meet with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, secretary of state of the Holy See, and Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik to convey the commitment of the National Assembly to support World Youth Day 2027, which South Korea will host.

Cho also plans to use the meetings to ask for the Vatican's continued attention and support for peace on the Korean Peninsula and the resumption of dialogue between South and North Korea.

On the next leg of his trip, the speaker will travel to Croatia where he will hold a series of meetings with Croatian President Zoran Milanovic, Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandrokovic and Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on Friday.

The two sides are expected to discuss expanding cooperation in advanced technologies and the energy and defense industries.

From Croatia, Cho will visit Greece for talks with Greek President Constantine Tassoulas and President of the Hellenic Parliament Nikitas Kaklamanis on Monday.

Among the agenda items are cooperation in shipbuilding and shipping, electric cars and batteries, and in solar and wind energy.

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