S Korea - ASEAN Center launches in Seoul

www.chinaview.cn , 2009-03-13 17:05:47      

SEOUL, March 13 (Xinhua) -- The South Korea-Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Center, an international agency to boost ties between South Korea and Southeast Asian countries, opened in Seoul on Friday, according to the Yonhap News Agency. 

"The South Korea-ASEAN Center will play an important role in strengthening cooperative relations between South Korea and the ASEAN countries by promoting trade, investment, cultural and human exchanges, and tourism," South Korea's Prime Minister Han Seung-soo was quoted as saying at the launch ceremony for the agency. 

The prime minister added that the agency is expected to play a crucial role as the two sides coalesce to tackle various issues, such as the current financial crisis and climate change. 

South Korea launched the agency in a bid to reach out to the region, which has recently grown in political and economic importance, according to the report. 

South Korea and each of the ASEAN nations agreed to send a director-level government official to the secretariat of the center's headquarters. 

Editor: Zhang Xiang