ID :
180892
Mon, 05/09/2011 - 13:50
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Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/180892
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Presidents of Korea, Germany agree to deepen economic cooperation
By Chang Jae-soon
BERLIN, May 9 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and German President Christian Wulff agreed Monday to expand trade and investment as well as deepen cooperation in environment-friendly industries, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said.
Lee began the second day of his three-day visit to Berlin with a summit with the German president that focused on ways to boost economic cooperation, including in the area of "green growth," calling for using environmentally friendly industries to fuel economic growth.
"The two leaders appreciated that South Korea and Germany have improved cooperation in political, economic and cultural sectors based on their common historical experience of national division and agreed to further strengthen cooperation in these areas," Cheong Wa Dae said in a statement.
In particular, the two leaders shared the view that South Korea and Germany are important partners to each other in the areas of green growth and renewable energy, and agreed to work together closely to help expand cooperation in such promising areas as electric vehicles and renewable energy, the statement said.
Germany is South Korea's largest trading partner in Europe. South Korea's exports to the European nation amounted to US$10.7 billion at the end of last year, up 21.2 percent from the year earlier, while the imports from Germany rose 16.3 percent to US$14.3 billion.
Lee was to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel later Monday for deeper cooperation talks.
Expanding trade and investment is a key theme in Lee's European tour that will also take him to Denmark and France later this week, as a free trade agreement between South Korea and the European Union is set to take effect in July after Seoul's parliament ratified the pact last week.
Another main topic for Lee's trip to this symbolic city of German unification is North Korea.
On Sunday, Lee said at a meeting with South Korean residents here that the South should seek unification with the communist neighbor at any cost while stressing the importance of ending Pyongyang's nuclear programs that he said were an obstacle to unification.
Lee plans to offer an unspecified, "advanced proposal" on the nuclear standoff at a joint news conference with Merkel later Monday, a presidential official said on condition of anonymity, declining to provide further specifics.
South Korea has urged the North to demonstrate its denuclearization commitment through action before reopening the six-nation talks on the nuclear standoff involving the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the U.S.
The nuclear talks have been stalled since the last session in December 2008.
BERLIN, May 9 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and German President Christian Wulff agreed Monday to expand trade and investment as well as deepen cooperation in environment-friendly industries, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said.
Lee began the second day of his three-day visit to Berlin with a summit with the German president that focused on ways to boost economic cooperation, including in the area of "green growth," calling for using environmentally friendly industries to fuel economic growth.
"The two leaders appreciated that South Korea and Germany have improved cooperation in political, economic and cultural sectors based on their common historical experience of national division and agreed to further strengthen cooperation in these areas," Cheong Wa Dae said in a statement.
In particular, the two leaders shared the view that South Korea and Germany are important partners to each other in the areas of green growth and renewable energy, and agreed to work together closely to help expand cooperation in such promising areas as electric vehicles and renewable energy, the statement said.
Germany is South Korea's largest trading partner in Europe. South Korea's exports to the European nation amounted to US$10.7 billion at the end of last year, up 21.2 percent from the year earlier, while the imports from Germany rose 16.3 percent to US$14.3 billion.
Lee was to meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel later Monday for deeper cooperation talks.
Expanding trade and investment is a key theme in Lee's European tour that will also take him to Denmark and France later this week, as a free trade agreement between South Korea and the European Union is set to take effect in July after Seoul's parliament ratified the pact last week.
Another main topic for Lee's trip to this symbolic city of German unification is North Korea.
On Sunday, Lee said at a meeting with South Korean residents here that the South should seek unification with the communist neighbor at any cost while stressing the importance of ending Pyongyang's nuclear programs that he said were an obstacle to unification.
Lee plans to offer an unspecified, "advanced proposal" on the nuclear standoff at a joint news conference with Merkel later Monday, a presidential official said on condition of anonymity, declining to provide further specifics.
South Korea has urged the North to demonstrate its denuclearization commitment through action before reopening the six-nation talks on the nuclear standoff involving the two Koreas, China, Japan, Russia and the U.S.
The nuclear talks have been stalled since the last session in December 2008.
