Lee-Obama Summit Due in April
By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter
The first summit between President Lee Myung-bak and U.S. President Barack Obama will take place no later than April, when they participate in the Group of 20 (G-20) meeting in London, a Cheong Wa Dae spokesman said Thursday.
Korea is also pushing for a visit by Lee to the United States after the G-20 summit of industrialized and developing countries, spokesman Lee Dong-kwan said.
``It is highly likely that President Lee and Obama will gather for their first summit in London,'' spokesman Lee said. ``After that, Lee will be able to visit Washington.''
The spokesman said it is possible that the two leaders may meet in March, adding, ``But we won't rush to realize the summit.''
The remarks came two days after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, while visiting Tokyo as part of her Asian tour, said President Obama invited Japan's Prime Minister Taro Aso for a summit next Tuesday, making him the first leader to meet him in Washington.
Seoul officials have expressed hope for an early visit by Lee to Washington and a reciprocal visit by Obama to Seoul.
``We've asked U.S. diplomats and senior officials to have the Lee-Obama summit on the sidelines of the G20 meeting. They told us that they will consider it positively,'' a senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said, asking not to be identified. ``We hope Obama will visit Seoul this year, which depends on the situation in the United States.''
Last month, Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan and his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State Clinton, agreed to push for an early summit between their leaders during a 10-minute telephone conversation, one of the routine courtesy calls she made to her counterparts following her appointment.
``Yu and Clinton shared the view that it is desirable for the two nations to have a summit or other high-level consultations at an early date for in-depth discussions on the development of the alliance and major pending issues. They agreed to consult on details through diplomatic channels,'' the ministry said in a statement.
Clinton arrived in Seoul Thursday night. She will hold talks with Yu on North Korea's nuclear threat and the free trade agreement between Seoul and Washington and pay a courtesy call on President Lee at Cheong Wa Dae, Friday.