Korea, Denmark Agree to Boost Partnership
By Na Jeong-ju
Staff Reporter
President Lee Myung-bak and Danish Prime Minister Lars Rasmussen agreed Thursday to boost cooperation in the development of clean energy sources and other eco-friendly technologies for green growth.
At a summit at Cheong Wa Dae, the leaders also discussed the importance of embracing more countries in institutionalizing measures to reduce carbon emissions based on an accord reached at the U.N. Climate Summit in the Danish capital of Copenhagen last December.
Rasmussen and his wife arrived in Seoul Wednesday for a three-day visit at the invitation of President Lee.
The summit focused on advancing economic ties between Korea and Denmark and strengthening their partnership in the international arena to move the talks on climate change and overcoming the economic crisis forward, the presidential office said.
The two leaders agreed to work together for an early implementation of the free trade agreement between Korea and the 27-member European Union, saying the accord will help boost bilateral trade and investment between the two countries as well, it said.
They also exchanged opinions on providing development assistance to underprivileged nations around the world. Lee outlined Korea's plan to triple its Official Development Assistance by 2012.
"Lee and Rasmussen agreed to strengthen cooperative ties in development aid as South Korea joined the OECD's Development Assistance Committee (DAC) last year and Denmark is a leading country in the field," Cheong Wa Dae said. The DAC is a club of donors.
Lee said Koreans will always be grateful for Denmark's provision of medical aid during the 1950-53 Korean War and helping in Korea's rapid industrialization afterwards.
Upon arrival, the Danish prime minister visited the Demilitarized Zone, the heavily-armed border between the two Koreas.
Following the summit, he visited the Experience Green Growth Hall in central Seoul and the Daedeok Innopolis, a cluster of R&D centers and venture businesses in Daejeon, some 160 kilometers south of Seoul.
Korea and Denmark established diplomatic relations in 1959. Two-way trade reached $1.6 billion last year.