PM Transcripts

C-)
PRIME MINISTER
STATEMENT BY THlE PRIME MINISTER, THE HON P J KEATINJG MY
VISIT TO0 AUSTRALIA BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF
KOREA, KIM YOUNG SAM, 16-19 NOVEMBER 1994
1 am very pleased to announce that the President of the Republic of Korea,
Kim Young Samn, will visit Australia from 16-19 November 1994 as a guest of the
Australian Government. During his time here, he will visit Sydney and Canberra. He
will be accompanied by Madam Kim.
President Kim's visit will follow the APEC leaders' mneeting being hosted by
President Soeharto in Bogor, Indonesia. President Kim and I have worked together
closely in promoting APEC and our discussions will provide a good opportunity to
follow up the outcomes of the meeting. We will also discuss other important regional
economic and security issues in which we share significant common interests.
In the bilateral area, I am particularly interested in examining the scope for developing
further our very healthy economic links and broadening the base of our relationship
through close co-operation in fields such as education and industrial technology.
The ROK is our fifth largest trading partner, with two-way trade totalling $ 6.6 billion
in 1993-94. It is our third largest export market and our exports grew by 18.6 per cent
in 1993-94 alone. Our exports to the ROK are not only growing fast, they are
diversifying. Where manufactures accounted for 10 per cent of exports a decade ago,
they now forin one quarter.
Australia's relations with the P. 0K are am~ ong our most important external linkages.
President Kim's visit is an important further step in the decpcning Of OUr bilateral
relationship. CANBERRA 3 November 1994