SKorea opens agency to build Southeast Asian ties
SOUTH KOREA: South Korea Friday opened a new agency to promote
ties with Southeast Asia in a ceremony attended by Thai Foreign Minister
Kasit Piromya.
Foreign Minister Yu Myung-Hwan said the ASEAN-Korea Centre would play
a central role in promoting cooperation between South Korea and
Southeast Asia.
Thailand chairs this year’s meeting of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations which also groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos,
Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, and Vietnam.
The centre, which will support business and cultural exchanges, will
be staffed by senior officials from Seoul and each of the 10 ASEAN
members.
After the ceremony, Piromya and Yu held talks focusing on a special
South Korea-ASEAN summit planned for June on the southern island of Jeju,
and the ASEAN Plus Three summit in Thailand next month.
South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak Sunday wrapped up a visit to
ASEAN’s largest member Indonesia following earlier stops in Australia
and New Zealand.
The trip marked the launch of what he calls a “new Asia initiative”,
a plan for Seoul significantly to improve ties with all nations in the
region.
SEOUL,
Friday, AFP |
