Lee on green growth tour to Europe

By Kang Hyun-kyung

President Lee Myungbak left Seoul Sunday for a week-long trip to Germany, Denmark and France to share his vision for low-carbon, green growth with the leaders.

Lee will also discuss ways to expand trade and investment and deepen bilateral ties with the leaders of the three governments.

Germany is his first stop. Lee is slated to have summit talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel and President Christian Wulff there. During the summit, the leaders of South Korea and Germany will focus on expanding ties in trade, investment, green growth and renewable energy.

The Korean President will also meet with parliamentary leaders, the mayor of Berlin and business leaders there and then meet with Koreans living in Berlin and Frankfurt.

President Lee will arrive in Denmark Wednesday and start his schedule there with dinner with Danish Queen Margrethe II.

Lee will sit down with Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen Thursday for summit talks. After the talks, the two leaders are scheduled to announce a joint statement on the Korea-Denmark strategic partnership and a joint declaration of Korea-Denmark green growth cooperation.

Lee will participate in the opening ceremony of the Copenhagen office of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). The GGGI is an international organization initiated by the South Korean government.

It was launched last June to help developing countries achieve low-carbon green growth.

Last December, Denmark vowed to contribute $5 million annually for three years to help nations in energy and transportation fields.

In a speech to a forum there, Lee is expected to put forth a new growth paradigm aiming at environmentally-friendly growth.

After being sworn in as President in February 2008, Lee pledged to make efforts for South Korea to be a leader in green growth.

After wrapping up his visit to Denmark, Lee will head to France Friday. He is scheduled to hold talks with French President Nicholas Sarkozy.

The two leaders are expected to discuss ways to expand trade and investment. Lee will meet with politicians, and heads of international organizations based in Paris. Lee will return to Seoul next Sunday.