Dinner with Minister for Trade, Republic of Korea
Ministers Kim and Crean with their hosts
On the occasion of the visit to Australia of the Minister for Trade of the Republic of Korea, HE Kim Jong-hoon, the Australia-Korea Foundation (AKF) in association with the Australia-Korea Business Council (AKBC), was pleased to facilitate an opportunity for the Minister to meet with Australian businesses at a dinner in Melbourne on Monday 18 May. Minister Kim was in Australia for the fifth Australia-Korea Ministerial Joint Trade and Economic Commission. Following this meeting, Minister Kim and Australia’s Minister for Trade, the Hon Simon Crean, jointly launched the first round of negotiations on an Australia-Korea Free Trade Agreement.
AKF Deputy Chair Bernie Delaney meets Minister Kim
The dinner co-hosted by Mr David Palmer, Chair AKF Board and Mr Colin Heseltine, Deputy Chair, AKBC, was attended by Ministers Kim and Crean as well as Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Hon Tony Burke and Minister for Resources and Energy & Minister for Tourism, the Hon Martin Ferguson.
AKF Chair David Palmer and Minister Burke
Ninety guests, representing a cross-section of industries engaged in trade with Korea, enjoyed a brief speech from Minister Kim in which he agreed with Mr Palmer’s comments on the importance of people-to-people relations between our two countries. He expressed his enthusiasm for the broadening and deepening of the relationship between Australia and Korea, emphasising that business linkages provide a great basis to expand connections further. As the AKF aims to promote connections between individuals and organisations in both countries, these remarks from such a distinguished and influential guest were warmly welcomed by the hosts.
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