Chilean president calls for further cooperation with Korea

By Nam Kwang-sik
SEOUL, Nov. 11 (Yonhap) -- Chilean President Michelle Bachelet called on South
Korea Wednesday to enhance bilateral cooperation in various areas, showing her
interest in the country's economic development experience.
"Both economies can benefit in a significant and balanced way from each other.
Commercial policies in Chile and Korea continue to be active and similar in
various sphere," said Bachelet in a meeting of the Chile-Korea Economic
Cooperation Committee.
The Chilean president started her two-day visit to South Korea on Tuesday.
The two countries signed a free trade pact, Seoul's first-ever free trade
agreement, in early 2003 and put it into effect a year later.
Trade volume between South Korea and Chile nearly quadrupled five years after the
countries sealed the free trade pact, reaching US$7.16 billion between April of
2008 and March this year, compared with $1.85 billion recorded in 2003, according
to data released in March by South Korea's trade ministry.
The Chilean president also said that her country is very interested in "the key
to the success of the Korean way to development," adding "While the economic
crisis dealt a serious blow to the Korean economy, the latter has shown greater
ability to recover."
The meeting was attended by Sohn Kyung-shik, chairman of the Korea Chamber of
Commerce and Industry and Ricardo Lessmann, chairman of the Chilean-Korean
Chamber of Commerce among other business leaders from Chile and South Korea.
ksnam@yna.co.kr
(END)