President Park Geun-hye will embark on a weeklong trip on Oct. 6 to Indonesia and Brunei, where leaders of Asia-Pacific countries will gather to discuss their cooperation on regional and global issues, Cheong Wa Dae said Friday. From Oct. 6-8, she will attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit on the Indonesian island of Bali, making her debut on the regional stage of multilateral summit diplomacy.
During the APEC meeting themed “Towards Resilience and Growth: Reshaping Priorities for Global Economy,” Park plans to deliver a keynote speech on her “creative economy” drive and call for deeper regional economic cooperation.
Following the summit, Park will fly to Brunei on Oct. 8 for a summit with the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations and another meeting with the ASEAN, China and Japan.
In Brunei, she will also attend the East Asia Summit, which involves the U.S., Russia, India, Australia and New Zealand. During these multilateral forums, Park and her counterparts are expected to touch on security, economy and other key global issues.
Attention is being drawn to whether Park will hold talks with her Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of multilateral forums. A summit between them has not yet been held as the two countries’ relations have deteriorated amid deepening historical and territorial antagonism.
After her schedule in Brunei, Park is to head back to Indonesia on Oct. 10 for a three-day state visit. Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has invited her as this year marks the 40th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic relations.
During their bilateral summit, Park seeks to build a stronger economic partnership with Indonesia through exploring ways for South Korean firms to expand their investments in the country and participate in major projects to build infrastructure.
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koreaherald@heraldcorp.com
