By Michael Ha
Staff Reporter
Prime Minister Han Seung-soo began an official trip to New York Monday with an itinerary including a keynote address at the United Nations General Assembly session.
The prime minister is scheduled to attend the 63rd session of the U.N. General Assembly meeting on Thursday. In his speech, Han is expected to share his view on the ``Millennium Development Goals," a set of initiatives set by the United Nations to tackle the world's main development challenges.
These goals include helping to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger around the world and achieving universal primary education, as well as promoting gender equality and empowering women.
In his speech, Han will also discuss latest developments regarding the North Korean denuclearization effort and the Lee Myung-bak administration's official stance on Seoul-Pyongyang diplomatic relations.
He will also explain to the U.N. delegates President Lee's environmental vision for the low-carbon emission, ``green economic development initiative."
During his trip, Han will also attend roundtable discussions with high-level U.N. officials addressing the need for environmentally friendly, sustainable economic development. He is expected to express the government's full-fledged support for these U.N. environment initiatives.
He is also scheduled to meet with representatives from Paraguay, Columbia and Madagascar. In meeting with U.N. delegates, Han is expected to continue Seoul's ongoing ``energy diplomacy" with resource-rich countries. He will also hold meetings with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon as well as the new U.N. General Assembly President Miguel D'Escoto.
The prime minister will wrap up his trip with a meeting with a group of leading corporate executives at the Citigroup headquarters in New York. He is expected to ask for full cooperation from the U.S. business group in helping to shore up support for the pending Korea-U.S. free trade agreement.