ID :
48323
Sun, 03/01/2009 - 14:50
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/48323
The shortlink copeid
President Lee to visit New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia
SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak will embark on a
three-nation trip this week that will take him to New Zealand, Australia and
Indonesia for talks largely aimed at drafting joint measures to overcome the
ongoing global economic downturn, an official at the presidential office said
Sunday.
"All three countries are key nations in the Asia-Pacific region and key friendly
nation to us that pursue democracy and free market economy," the official told
reporters, asking not to be identified.
Lee's seven-day trip will start Monday with a visit to Auckland where he and New
Zealand's Prime Minister John Key are set to announce the official start of
negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA), according to the official.
Seoul and Wellington held two rounds of preliminary FTA negotiations in 2007, and
officials here believe the countries will be able to sign a deal before the end
of the year.
The president will then fly Wednesday to Sydney where he will meet with ranking
Australian officials and South Korean expatriates there.
A summit between Lee and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will be held the
next day in Canberra, where the two leaders will announce the start of
negotiations for a bilateral FTA, the official said.
"One of the key purposes of the trip is to expand energy and economic cooperation
with the three countries, which are also our key trading partners," he said.
Australia is South Korea's seventh largest trading partner with nearly US$20
billion in two-way trade.
Lee will wrap up his tour in Jakarta where he will seek to win Indonesia's
support for the country's membership in the Financial Stability Forum, as well as
better ties with Indonesia, a key member of the 10-member Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
"He (Lee) will first ask Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to take
part in the special Korea-ASEAN summit slated for June, and he will also call for
cooperation between the countries in the G-20 summit in London in April," the
official said.
Seoul and Jakarta are also set to sign a memorandum of understanding on the
creation of a 20,000-hectare forest farm for wood pellets, in addition to 50,000
hectares in Indonesia currently run by South Korean businesses.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)
three-nation trip this week that will take him to New Zealand, Australia and
Indonesia for talks largely aimed at drafting joint measures to overcome the
ongoing global economic downturn, an official at the presidential office said
Sunday.
"All three countries are key nations in the Asia-Pacific region and key friendly
nation to us that pursue democracy and free market economy," the official told
reporters, asking not to be identified.
Lee's seven-day trip will start Monday with a visit to Auckland where he and New
Zealand's Prime Minister John Key are set to announce the official start of
negotiations for a free trade agreement (FTA), according to the official.
Seoul and Wellington held two rounds of preliminary FTA negotiations in 2007, and
officials here believe the countries will be able to sign a deal before the end
of the year.
The president will then fly Wednesday to Sydney where he will meet with ranking
Australian officials and South Korean expatriates there.
A summit between Lee and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will be held the
next day in Canberra, where the two leaders will announce the start of
negotiations for a bilateral FTA, the official said.
"One of the key purposes of the trip is to expand energy and economic cooperation
with the three countries, which are also our key trading partners," he said.
Australia is South Korea's seventh largest trading partner with nearly US$20
billion in two-way trade.
Lee will wrap up his tour in Jakarta where he will seek to win Indonesia's
support for the country's membership in the Financial Stability Forum, as well as
better ties with Indonesia, a key member of the 10-member Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
"He (Lee) will first ask Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to take
part in the special Korea-ASEAN summit slated for June, and he will also call for
cooperation between the countries in the G-20 summit in London in April," the
official said.
Seoul and Jakarta are also set to sign a memorandum of understanding on the
creation of a 20,000-hectare forest farm for wood pellets, in addition to 50,000
hectares in Indonesia currently run by South Korean businesses.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)
