Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Korean investors eying Guyana

GEORGETOWN, Guyana (GINA) -- Guyana has attracted the interest of Korea at the level of the government and business community following negotiations initiated by President Bharrat Jagdeo during his visit in 2010.

This disclosure was made by newly accredited Ambassador of Korea to Guyana, Kim Joo-teck, who presented his letters of credence to Jagdeo on Wednesday at the Office of the President, replacing his predecessor Won-Sun Choi, who was accredited two years ago.

Kim, a Harvard, Cambridge, and Massachusetts University graduate, is hoping to further promote the encouraging level of relations between the two countries during his tenure in Guyana, citing cooperation projects in information communication technology (ICT) and agriculture.

“These areas are of personal interest to President Jagdeo…. Many countries around the world including some Latin American and Caribbean countries are working to establish… e-government infrastructure with the  support of the Korean government so these days modern countries and societies may need to improve better
infrastructure for ICT… to be well connected with the rest of the world,” Kim explained.

In July last year a delegation comprising representatives from various public and private sector agencies in Korea met Jagdeo during a visit to Guyana as they brainstormed investment potential.

The team was led by Director General of Latin American and Caribbean Affairs Bureau in Korea’s Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry Choo Jonh Youn, who told the Government Information Agency (GINA) that possibilities were spotted in the mining, fisheries and agriculture sectors.

Jagdeo had stimulated the interest of Korean investors when he met with a group while in Seoul last year for the Business for the Environment (B4E) summit, after receiving the Champion of the Earth award.

The investors, among whom were from the Korea Importers Association (KOIMA), chairman Lee Ju-tae, were told by the Guyanese leader of Guyana’s interest in Korean businesses participating in the development of national projects to boost mutual cooperation between the two countries.

He promised them that Guyana is prepared to welcome foreign businesses that invest in the development of resource mining and entrepreneurship and made  reference to Guyana’s oil fields, natural gases and oil drilling plans by international oil companies.

In 2005 Guyana and Korea signed an agreement for the promotion and protection of investments. Signatories to the accord were the then Minister of Foreign Trade and International Cooperation, Clement Rohee and former Korean Ambassador Shin Shoong Chull.

The agreement was aimed at setting  the stage for Guyana to seek investment opportunities in Korea.

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