Europe asks Korea to buy more goods

By Kwaak Je-yup

European countries in peril can find solutions to their problems by looking at the other side of the continent, said the European Union Chamber of Commerce President Jean-Luc Valerio.

At the sixth Korea-EU Awards ceremony at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in central Seoul on Tuesday, Valerio said the growth and consumption in East Asia can contribute to the European recovery.

“Europe is facing its worst crisis since the Second World War,” said Valerio in his opening remarks, addressing the room full of diplomats, government officials and businessmen of both Korea and Europe.

“Part of the solution will come from the Asian economy. It can help Europe the same way the Western economies helped the Asian countries after the (Second World War). We can make and share new riches to go beyond the painful crisis.”

Marking its 25th anniversary, EUCCK held the sixth edition of the annual Korea-EU Awards to honor those government entities and European companies operating in Korea that have particularly contributed to the Euro-Korean relationship. Also the ceremony was its method of celebrating the landmark free trade agreement between the European Union and Korea, which took effect on July 1.

Marco Zoli, president of Italian metrology solutions firm Marposs’s Korean operation, also echoed Valerio’s tone, saying that he was “honored to receive a prize on behalf of an Italian company... at a difficult time for Italy and Europe.”