SOUTH KOREAN MINISTER OF
FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND TRADE
VISITS CANADA
Foreign Affairs Minister Pierre Pettigrew today announced that the South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ban Ki-moon, is visiting Montreal and Toronto from September 26 to 28, 2004. This is the first visit to Canada by a South Korean foreign minister in more than ten years.
“Canada and South Korea enjoy a long-standing relationship that covers a variety of issues, from regional security and trade to educational exchanges,” said Minister Pettigrew. “Minister Ban’s visit provides an excellent opportunity to exchange views with a close friend and ally on matters of common concern, such as nuclear non-proliferation and trade liberalization. Canada strongly supports South Korea’s continued attempts to engage its northern neighbour in the Six-Party Talks.”
While in Canada, Minister Ban will meet with Minister Pettigrew, officials of the International Civil Aviation Organization, Quebec Deputy Premier Monique Gagnon-Tremblay and members of the Korean communities in Montreal and Toronto.
Canada and South Korea continue to expand their trade in goods, services and knowledge. South Korea is Canada’s eighth-largest trading partner overall and third-largest in Asia. Canada also hosts over 50,000 students from South Korea every year. More than 100,000 Canadians are of Korean descent.
Last year, Canada and South Korea marked their 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations with celebrations in both countries. For more information on our relationship, visit http://www.korea.gc.ca/political/bilateral.relation.e.html.
