Lee to visit China Oct. 23-25 to attend ASEM summit

By Yoo Cheong-mo

SEOUL, Oct. 16 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak is scheduled to visit Beijing Oct. 23-25 to attend the 7th Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) summit, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday.

This year's ASEM summit, which will take place on Oct. 24-25 in the Chinese
capital under the theme of a win-win solution to pending international issues,
will bring together leaders of 43 Asian and European member states.
"The ASEM leaders will discuss ways to overcome the ongoing global financial
crisis and climate change and energy problems," Cheong Wa Dae said in a
statement.
"Disaster prevention, food security and closer trade and investment between Asia
and Europe will also be on the agenda. The leaders will adopt a joint statement
to be titled 'Beijing Declaration on Sustainable Development' at the end of the
two-day summit," it noted.
On the sidelines of the ASEM summit, Lee plans to hold a series of bilateral
summit talks with his counterparts of Vietnam, Poland and other major member
states, according to a Cheong Wa Dae official.
Lee will also push to hold a two-way summit with French President Nicolas
Sarkozy, said the official, adding details of the planned bilateral summit talks
will be made public early next week.
ASEM summit has been held every two years since 1998, with the second summit held
in Seoul in 2000. Leaders of India, Pakistan, Mongolia, the ASEAN secretariat,
Bulgaria and Romania will attend this year's ASEM summit for the first time as
new members.