By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter
President Lee Myung-bak will hold a series of bilateral summits with the leaders of Chile, Peru, the United States and Canada this and next month in Seoul, Cheong Wa Dae said Monday.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper will arrive in Seoul on Dec. 6 for a two-day state visit, during which he will coordinate policies regarding the G20 meetings next year with Korean officials.
Canada and South Korea are the host countries for the fourth and fifth meetings of the world's 20 major economies, slated for June and November, respectively.
"The summit between Lee and Harper will focus on developing a special partnership between their countries. They will discuss ways to boost cooperation in trade, energy and natural resources development," the presidential office said in a press release. "They will also share various ideas to make next year's G20 summits successful."
South Korea may announce the host city for the November G20 summit around the Canadian leader's visit, according to government sources.
Lee and Harper have met twice this year. They held their first summit during the Expanded G8 Summit in L'Aquila, Italy, in July and their second in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in September.
Next week, Chilean President Michelle Bachelet and Peruvian President Alan Garcia will visit the country at the invitation of President Lee on their way to Singapore to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit on Nov. 14-15.
Lee plans to hold a summit with President Bachelet on Nov. 11 and with President Garcia the following day at Cheong Wa Dae.
"During their summit, Lee and Bachelet will share the accomplishments of the Korea-Chile Free Trade Agreement (FTA), which took effect five years ago," Cheong Wa Dae said. "They will also discuss ways to deepen bilateral partnership in energy, culture and human resources exchanges as well as exchange opinions on global issues, such as climate change and the financial market instability."
Bilateral trade between Korea and Chile has increased four-fold since the accord was implemented in 2004. Last year, bilateral trade was recorded at $7.1 billion, compared with $1.8 billion in 2003.
Korea and Peru will agree to cooperate for a quick signing of a bilateral FTA at the summit between Lee and Garcia. The two leaders will also discuss ways to develop a comprehensive cooperative partnership on economic and diplomatic issues signed during Lee's visit to Peru in November last year, Cheong Wa Dae said.
Lee will also hold a summit with U.S. President Barack Obama on Nov. 19, who will visit Korea as part of his first Asian tour since his inauguration in January.