By Na Jeong-ju
Staff reporter
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key will visit Korea from July 4 to 7 for a summit with President Lee Myung-bak and meetings with the country's economic and political leaders, Cheong Wa Dae announced Thursday.
During the summit scheduled for July 5, President Lee and Prime Minister Key will discuss ways to reinforce their economic partnership and promote people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.
High on the agenda is expected to be bilateral talks on signing a free trade agreement (FTA).
Seoul and Wellington have held rounds of working-level negotiations since June of last year to iron out differences on tariffs on electronics and automobiles and discuss trade of agricultural products.
The two leaders will also exchange opinions on regional security risks, climate change and the global economic situation, the presidential office said.
"Prime Minister Key's visit to Seoul will be a good opportunity for the two countries to reaffirm their alliance as Korea marks the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the 1950-53 Korean War," the office said in a press release. "Their cooperative relations will also develop further in various economic and cultural sectors."
During the trip, the prime minister will visit the War Memorial in Seoul and attend a business forum aimed at strengthening economic ties.
This will be a reciprocal visit for Key. In March last year, Lee visited New Zealand and agreed with Key to begin FTA negotiations.