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| New Zealand Ambassador to Korea Clare Fearnley speaks to members of the local business community at a forum in Seoul, last week. / Courtesy of EDGE Communications |
By John Redmond
New Zealand Ambassador to Korea Clare Fearnley has stressed the importance of her country's 50-year diplomatic and trade relationship with South Korea.
She also thanked the New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Korea (Kiwi Chamber) for its role in strengthening the partnership between the Korean and New Zealand business communities.
"The Korea-New Zealand FTA will give new momentum to what is a wide-ranging relationship between our two countries," Fearnley said.
"The Kiwi Chamber's members are well placed to take advantage of the opportunities this creates and are central to ensuring the text is given commercial life."
She made the remarks at a breakfast forum hosted by the Kiwi Chamber at the JW Marriott Seoul on March 5. More than 60 local business community leaders attended.
Korea and New Zealand tentatively signed a bilateral free trade deal last December.
Kiwi Chamber chairman Simon Walsh said, "We look forward to working closely together with our new Ambassador Clare Fearnley and will do everything possible to build upon existing Korea-New Zealand business relationships during this ‘Year of the FTA.'"
Key businesses and organizations represented at the forum included New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE), ANZ Bank, Dongwon, Ottogi, Ildong Foodis, Macquarie, Citibank and Tiwi Trade.
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