(3rd LD) S. Korea, Sweden declare end of Korea-EU FTA talks

(ATTN: UPDATES with additional remarks, more details from 12th para)
By Byun Duk-kun
STOCKHOLM, July 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said Monday
negotiations for a South Korea-EU free trade agreement (FTA) have been concluded
and called on negotiators to quickly sign the accord.
"We two leaders welcomed the final agreement on the Korea-EU FTA," Lee said in a
joint press conference with Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt of Sweden, which
holds the six-month rotating EU presidency until the end of this year.
"We agreed the Korea-EU FTA will be an important opportunity for South Korea and
the EU, as it will create new opportunities for both of their economies and send
a strong message to the world to fight trade protectionism," Lee said.
Reinfeldt, too, noted the proposed accord will bring "new opportunities for
growth in exports" when signed.
"I expressed hope that the Korea-EU FTA can be concluded during the Swedish
presidency (of the EU)," he said in the press conference that followed a
bilateral summit with Lee.
An official accompanying the South Korean president said earlier that Seoul and
the executive body of the EU had reached an agreement on the final draft of the
proposed FTA. The EU's Article 133 Committee, which handles the bloc's major
trade policies, including FTAs, approved the final draft on Friday.
"There is no longer any opposition to the Korea-EU FTA, so Monday's declaration
by the two heads of state (Lee and Reinfeldt) of the end of negotiations will be,
in fact, a declaration that a final deal has been struck," the official told
reporters, asking not to be identified.
The two leaders did not say explicitly that the sides have struck an agreement.
"There might still be some outstanding questions. We need to follow up on those
questions," Reinhardt said.
The South Korean official said this is because the EU's announcement of a deal
must be made by the European Commission, the executive body of the EU.
The European Commission has agreed to skip a separate declaration ceremony,
apparently acknowledging Monday's announcement by Lee and Reinfeldt as the
official announcement of the accord, according to the official.
Reinfeldt said the Korea-EU FTA will also help improve ties between his country
and Seoul, noting the two countries are "very like-minded in many areas,"
including free trade, green technology and their pursuit of low-carbon economies.
"We have discussed the importance of seeking more free trade," he said of his
talks with the South Korean president. "So (I) think it'll be important for us to
see this FTA being finalized."
South Korea and the EU have already agreed to begin their legal reviews and
initial the document in September, according to the South Korean official, who is
deeply involved in the Korea-EU negotiations.
It is expected to be formally signed near the end of the year or early next year
after the accord is translated into the 23 different languages used in the EU's
27 member nations for their final review, he said.
Lee and Reinfeldt also discussed ways to increase bilateral cooperation on
international issues, including the North Korean nuclear problem, they said.
"We also talked about the situation on the Korean Peninsula in support of
solution of problems with regard to North Korea. We will follow closely the
developments and of course the resumption of six-party talks," the Swedish
premier said, referring to the nuclear disarmament talks involving the two
Koreas, the United States, Japan, China and Russia.
Pyongyang has been boycotting the six-nation talks since late last year, and
vowed in April not to attend the negotiations again following the U.N. Security
Council's condemnation of its long-range rocket launch.
The communist nation conducted its second atomic test on May 25, again prompting
a U.N. condemnation and economic sanctions in a resolution.
bdk@yna.co.kr
(END)