By Kim Tae-gyu
President Park Geun-hye proposed Friday building a "Silk Road Express," which will link roads and railways starting at South Korea's southeastern port city of Busan to Europe through North Korea and Russia.
Park made the suggestion at the 2013 International Conference on Global Cooperation in the Era of Eurasia, which was held at the Shilla Hotel Seoul.
"To make Eurasia one continent again, we are required to build a new logistic network and tackle the physical barriers that block communication and exchanges," Park said in an opening speech.
"We need to connect the Northeastern part of Eurasia with railways and roads for a multi-purpose logistics network, which would eventually be extended to Europe. The Silk Road Express will run from Busan all the way to Europe via North Korea, Russia, China and Central Asia."
Park said such efforts will accelerate negotiations on creating a free trade zone encompassing the whole Eurasian continent similar to that of the European Union.
"If we can weed out trade barriers step by step for regional economic integration, Eurasia will be able to be a single market similar to the E.U. It is a feasible idea to construct such a new Eurasia, not just a dream," she said.
"The new Eurasia will offer fresh opportunities of investment and job opening through becoming an integrated continent to lead the next generation."
However, Park said that the division of the two Koreas generated a bottle neck in Eurasian cooperation. And the economic crisis in some EU countries is also a threat in realizing the grand plan.
She called for all the states in Asia and Europe to collaborate to secure peace and stability, which is indispensable in opening up a new era.
In particular, Park asked for support for her flagship "Korean Peninsula Trust Process," the carrot-and-stick approach to North Korea aimed at engaging the Stalinist regime without tolerating its provocations.
After chalking up a success on the initiative, Park said that Seoul will seek for chances of three-way economic cooperation involving the two Koreas and China or Russia.
Park's senior press secretary Lee Jung-hyun said that the Seoul conference will help the incumbent administration focus on establishing stronger ties between Asia and Europe.
"Eurasia covers approximately 40 percent of the world's landmass, 71 percent of its population and 60 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP)," Lee said.
"The conference will give momentum in expanding cooperation between Asia and Europe in broad-based segments such as diplomacy, security, communications, energy, development and culture."
President Park Geun-hye proposed Friday building a "Silk Road Express," which will link roads and railways starting at South Korea's southeastern port city of Busan to Europe through North Korea and Russia.
Park made the suggestion at the 2013 International Conference on Global Cooperation in the Era of Eurasia, which was held at the Shilla Hotel Seoul.
"To make Eurasia one continent again, we are required to build a new logistic network and tackle the physical barriers that block communication and exchanges," Park said in an opening speech.
"We need to connect the Northeastern part of Eurasia with railways and roads for a multi-purpose logistics network, which would eventually be extended to Europe. The Silk Road Express will run from Busan all the way to Europe via North Korea, Russia, China and Central Asia."
Park said such efforts will accelerate negotiations on creating a free trade zone encompassing the whole Eurasian continent similar to that of the European Union.
"If we can weed out trade barriers step by step for regional economic integration, Eurasia will be able to be a single market similar to the E.U. It is a feasible idea to construct such a new Eurasia, not just a dream," she said.
"The new Eurasia will offer fresh opportunities of investment and job opening through becoming an integrated continent to lead the next generation."
However, Park said that the division of the two Koreas generated a bottle neck in Eurasian cooperation. And the economic crisis in some EU countries is also a threat in realizing the grand plan.
She called for all the states in Asia and Europe to collaborate to secure peace and stability, which is indispensable in opening up a new era.
In particular, Park asked for support for her flagship "Korean Peninsula Trust Process," the carrot-and-stick approach to North Korea aimed at engaging the Stalinist regime without tolerating its provocations.
After chalking up a success on the initiative, Park said that Seoul will seek for chances of three-way economic cooperation involving the two Koreas and China or Russia.
Park's senior press secretary Lee Jung-hyun said that the Seoul conference will help the incumbent administration focus on establishing stronger ties between Asia and Europe.
"Eurasia covers approximately 40 percent of the world's landmass, 71 percent of its population and 60 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP)," Lee said.
"The conference will give momentum in expanding cooperation between Asia and Europe in broad-based segments such as diplomacy, security, communications, energy, development and culture."
