Korean Premier to visit Sri Lanka on 28 August

Thursday, 15 August 2013 01:06 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, Chung Hongwon is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka from 28 to 30 August, the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement. The Korean Premier’s visit is a direct follow-up to the discussions at a summit meeting held by the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa with his Korean counterpart during his state visit to Seoul in April 2012. Secretary to External Affairs Ministry Karunaratne Amunugama recently held bilateral consultations with the 1st Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of Korea, Kim Kyou-hyun in Seoul. This meeting has been initiated by the two sides as a progress review of the President’s state visit.

During the discussion, both sides have expressed satisfaction with the recent developments in bilateral cooperation and discussed ways and means of further enhancing and consolidating the economic partnership. The External Affairs Secretary has highlighted the importance of improving trade relations in strengthening equitable economic benefits for both countries and the Korean authorities have committed to use the Asia Pacific Trade Agreement (APTA) in extending more benefits for Sri Lanka experts to reach the South Korean market. Amunugama has emphasised using the human resources factor for strengthening the current economic capabilities and Korean authorities have agreed to extend more opportunities for education and technical capacity building for Sri Lanka students and Government officers. Pointing out that Sri Lanka expat labour community can stimulate the capacity of both economies; the Secretary has made a request to extend the quota for Sri Lanka migrant workers in Korea. The Secretary encouraged the Korean entrepreneurs to consider investing in Sri Lanka and has invited the participation of top business leaders of the Republic of Korea at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) Business Forum which would create a platform for the visiting business community to interact in a regional context as well as seeking more bilateral investment opportunities. Amunugama also took the opportunity to explain to the Korean authorities in detail the economic resurgence taking place in the country upon the eradication of terrorism and the efforts made by the Government towards national reconciliation, the Ministry statement said.