President on an official visit to South Korea
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- Published on Saturday, 21 April 2012 01:59
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President Mahinda Rajapaksa will embark on an official visit to South Korea on an invitation extended by the South Korean President Lee Myung-bak from 23rd to 27th of this month. The first lady Madam Shiranthi Rajapaksa will also join this visit.
During this visit President Mahinda Rajapaksa is scheduled to hold talks with the South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and also to sign several bilateral agreements between the two countries. The President is also scheduled to address a banquet function that will be hosted by 4 leading business groups in Seoul and also to address the Sri Lanka-Korean Business Council.
The President is also scheduled to meet the leaders of main Trade Unions of South Korea. A group of leading Sri Lankan businessmen will also join the Sri Lankan delegation.
Bilateral relation between Sri Lanka and South Korea dates back to 1968 when South Korean opened a trade mission in Colombo . In 1977, the South Korean Embassy was opened in Colombo while Sri Lanka 's Ambassador in Japan was concurrently accredited to Seoul in 1978. Sri Lankan resident Embassy in Seoul was opened in 1987.
The value of good imported by Sri Lanka from South Korea has increased to 45.5 million U.S.Dollars last year from the value of US.Dollar 18.4 million U.S.Dollars in 2004. Sri Lanka’s main export items to South Korea were coconut fibre, rubber products and apparels. The value of these products amounted to 36.7% of exports last year. The other Sri Lankan export items to Korea were Wooden products, mattresses, tea, porcelain products and activated carbon.
