By Kang Hyun-kyung
President Lee Myung-bak will visit Central and South American countries from Sunday and attend the G20 Summit to be held in Los Cabos, Mexico, according to Cheong Wa Dae, Monday.
During the summit, Lee will exchange ideas with world leaders about the eurozone crisis, global financial policy coordination to thwart the negative fallout of the crisis, international financial regulations, development, green growth and trade.
He will also meet global business leaders and heads of international institutions on the sidelines of the summit.
His second stop is Rio de Janeiro, Brazil for the U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development, also known as the Rio+20 Summit, which will start from June 20.
In a keynote speech to the summit, Lee will suggest the green growth strategy as an alternative to tackle such global challenges as a widening income disparity between the haves and have-nots, climate change and the reduction of biodiversity.
In a press release, the presidential office said President Lee will urge the global community to join hands with South Korea to implement a strategy to balance economic growth with preservation of ecosystems.
Since taking office in February 2008, Lee has initiated the effort to achieve economic growth that will have no hazardous effects on the ecosystem. Lee, who pushed for the successful transformation of the urban slum in downtown Seoul into the scenic Cheoggye Stream, called for low-carbon, green growth as a strategy for the future.
He will attend a ceremony to sign a pact to institutionalize the Global Green Growth Institute, a Seoul-based think tank designed to research green growth and suggest policy proposals, as an international organization.
Lee will then visit Chile and Colombia. During a summit with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera on June 22, the two leaders will discuss ways to deepen cooperation in resources, infrastructure, renewable energy, environment and defense.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Chile.
The city authorities of Santiago are scheduled to award President Lee with an honorary citizenship certificate to commemorate Lee’s dedication to building ties with it while he served as mayor of Seoul.
Lee’s last stop will be Colombia, the only Latin American country that sent troops to South Korea when the nation underwent a bloody civil war with the North.
During the summit, Lee and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos Calderon will exchange ideas on trade, investment, energy and resources, defense and development assistance to bolster ties. Lee will return to Seoul on June26 after winding up the trips to Central and South American countries.