Handelsakkoord tussen de EU en Zuid-Korea stap dichterbij (en)

A strong signal against global protectionism. This is how the President of South Korea, Lee Myung-Bak sums up the free trade agreement between South Korea and the EU that he and the Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt i discussed during the South Korean President’s visit to Stockholm today.

During the bilateral meeting, the South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak and Fredrik Reinfeldt discussed issues such as the global economic crisis and the road to G20, the climate issue and the importance of reaching an international agreement in Copenhagen. They also touched upon the Swedish Presidency work programme and discussed future bilateral cooperation.

”This free trade agreement provides new opportunities for economic growth and export, both in South Korea and in the EU.  But it is also an important signal to the rest of the world and serves as a counterweight to global protectionism, which I find extremely worrying”, says Fredrik Reinfeldt.

Negotiations on the free trade agreement with the EU’s 27 Member States now continue. Fredrik Reinfeldt hopes that the negotiations will conclude and the agreement will be signed during the Swedish Presidency.

Fredrik Reinfeldt and Lee Myung-Bak also discussed the disturbing situation on the Korean Peninsula.

”The Swedish Presidency will play an active role in supporting the search for solutions in the region. We are following developments closely”, said Fredrik Reinfeldt at the press briefing that concluded the visit.