Korea-Indonesia Summit Planned for Tuesday
By Kim Yon-se
Staff Reporter
Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will visit South Korea July 23-26 for talks on establishing a strategic partnership between the two countries, the presidential office said.
Yudhoyono and President Roh Moo-hyun are scheduled to hold a summit at Cheong Wa Dae Tuesday, said Roh's spokesman Cheon Ho-seon.
The two leaders will discuss ways to develop a variety of means to strengthen cooperation the two sides agreed upon last December when Roh visited Jakarta, Roh's aides said.
During the visit, the two presidents signed a joint agreement to boost cooperation and establish a strategic partnership in the 21st century.
They also exchanged views on ways of boosting bilateral relations in trade, investment, information technology (IT), nuclear power generation and forestry preservation.
``We expect the Indonesian president's visit will ensure rapid development in bilateral relations,'' Cheon said. ``This will provide momentum for more Southeast Asian countries to have positive views about Korea.''
Indonesia is South Korea's fourth largest investment destination, with a cash inflow approaching $5 billion a year. Last year, South Korea's exports to Indonesia amounted to $2.9 billion, while its imports from the county reached $4.8 billion.
Last December, the two countries also signed a landmark agreement on bilateral cooperation to eradicate corruption.
In a ceremony in Indonesia, anti-corruption agencies from the two countries _ the Korea Independent Commission Against Corruption (KICAC) and the Corruption Eradication Commission (CEC) _ signed a memorandum of understanding regarding active exchanges of related policies and human resources.
Roh and Yudhoyono attended the ceremony at Indonesia's presidential palace, vowing to strengthen cooperation on anti-corruption campaigns.
The Seoul-Jakarta pact is the first that KICAC has made with a foreign country since the presidential agency was established in 2002.
South Korea and Indonesia established diplomatic ties in 1973.