SG ON OFFICIAL VISIT TO KOREA

(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Ambassador Irwin LaRocque is on his way to the Republic of Korea on an official visit from 29 July to 2 August.

While in Korea the Secretary-General will attend the Second High Level Forum on Korea-Caribbean Partnership to be held in Seoul on 31 July and address CARICOM Day celebrations on 30 July at the2012 World Exposition being held in Yeosu, Korea.

At least 10 CARICOM Member States will participate in the Forum which is at the level of Ministers and its main objectives are to seek practical and productive ways for increasing cooperation between Korea and the Caribbean States. It is also geared towards sharing knowledge and experience in various areas ranging from E-government, and Marine Environment Management to New and Renewable Energy. The First Level Forum was also in Korea in 2011.

The 2012 Yeosu World Expo is being held from 12 May to 12 August 2012 under the theme ‘Living Ocean and Coast - Diversity of Resources and Sustainable Resources’. A total of one hundred and four (104) countries are participating in the event including from CARICOM.

The Secretary-General will visit industrial sites and have discussions with high level Korean Private Sector executives and is scheduled to meet with the Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, H.E. Mr. Sung Hwan Kim.

CARICOM’s relations with South Korea have grown steadily since 2002, with the Community concluding a Technical Cooperation Agreement with that country in 2006. During the period 2008-2010, CARICOM‘s imports from South Korea moved from US$159.3 Million in 2008 to US$99.2 Million in 2009. They increased to US$120.7 Million in 2010. CARICOM exports on the other hand, have dropped continuously over this period: from US$239.4 Million in 2008 to US$135.1 Million in 2009 and US$77.7 Million in 2010.