ID :
52954
Mon, 03/30/2009 - 20:34
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/52954
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S. Korean president to take center stage at G-20 London summit
SEOUL, March 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak will this week head to London where he is expected to call on countries to "roll back" on trade protectionist measures in a meeting with the heads of 19 other major economies of the world, officials said Monday.
Lee will likely take center stage at the G-20 summit in London, as he also holds
bilateral meetings with a number of world leaders, including the heads of the
United States, Japan and China, to promote free trade.
"President Lee plans to stress the need to coordinate the countries'
macroeconomic policies and lower their trade barriers to overcome the financial
crisis and revive the world economy," an official from the presidential office
earlier said.
The South Korean president has also said he will propose that the World Trade
Organization regularly reports on countries engaged in protectionist measures.
"There are many countries clearly engaging in some sort of protectionist
measures," Lee said in a recent interview with the British newspaper, Financial
Times.
Lee will depart for London Tuesday and return Saturday.
The London meeting will also provide the venue for Lee's first official summit
with his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama, who will make his first international
debut since coming into office two months ago.
The Lee-Obama meeting, though brief, is expected to touch upon a wide range of
issues as the countries are working to strengthen their military alliance amid
threats from North Korea to launch what it claims to be a satellite, but is
regarded by others as a long-range missile on April 4-8.
Other topics for the Korea-U.S. summit may include the ratification of a free
trade agreement (FTA) signed two years ago, as well as Seoul's contribution to
the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan.
"President Lee will hold his first summit April 2 with U.S. President Obama for
discussions on cooperation in overcoming the financial crisis and in other areas,
including strengthening of the Korea-U.S. alliance and the North's nuclear and
missile issues," Seoul's presidential office has said.
Seoul is also expected to announce the signing of its FTA with the European Union
during Lee's visit to London, which according to Britain's ambassador to South
Korea Martin Uden, will be an "important symbol of anti-protectionism and free
trade."
Lee is also set for bilateral summits with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown
and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, as well as a meeting with U.N.
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, South Korea's former foreign minister.
He will also give a series of interviews to the world's leading news outlets,
including the U.S. television network CNBC and the Britain-based news agency
Reuters, during his four-day stay in the British capital, according to the
presidential office.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)
Lee will likely take center stage at the G-20 summit in London, as he also holds
bilateral meetings with a number of world leaders, including the heads of the
United States, Japan and China, to promote free trade.
"President Lee plans to stress the need to coordinate the countries'
macroeconomic policies and lower their trade barriers to overcome the financial
crisis and revive the world economy," an official from the presidential office
earlier said.
The South Korean president has also said he will propose that the World Trade
Organization regularly reports on countries engaged in protectionist measures.
"There are many countries clearly engaging in some sort of protectionist
measures," Lee said in a recent interview with the British newspaper, Financial
Times.
Lee will depart for London Tuesday and return Saturday.
The London meeting will also provide the venue for Lee's first official summit
with his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama, who will make his first international
debut since coming into office two months ago.
The Lee-Obama meeting, though brief, is expected to touch upon a wide range of
issues as the countries are working to strengthen their military alliance amid
threats from North Korea to launch what it claims to be a satellite, but is
regarded by others as a long-range missile on April 4-8.
Other topics for the Korea-U.S. summit may include the ratification of a free
trade agreement (FTA) signed two years ago, as well as Seoul's contribution to
the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan.
"President Lee will hold his first summit April 2 with U.S. President Obama for
discussions on cooperation in overcoming the financial crisis and in other areas,
including strengthening of the Korea-U.S. alliance and the North's nuclear and
missile issues," Seoul's presidential office has said.
Seoul is also expected to announce the signing of its FTA with the European Union
during Lee's visit to London, which according to Britain's ambassador to South
Korea Martin Uden, will be an "important symbol of anti-protectionism and free
trade."
Lee is also set for bilateral summits with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown
and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, as well as a meeting with U.N.
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, South Korea's former foreign minister.
He will also give a series of interviews to the world's leading news outlets,
including the U.S. television network CNBC and the Britain-based news agency
Reuters, during his four-day stay in the British capital, according to the
presidential office.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)
