By Ryu Jin
Staff Reporter


South Korea’s President Roh Moo-hyun will take part in the 2005 World Summit scheduled for Sept. 14-16 at the New York headquarters of the United Nations after his successive visits to Mexico and Costa Rica on Sept. 8-13, Chong Wa Dae said Monday.

In his keynote speech at the U.N. Summit, the biggest meeting of world leaders in history, Roh will present his vision on world order in the 21st century, Presidential Advisor for Foreign Policy Chung Woo-sung said in a press briefing.

``The speech, which will last about five minutes, will focus on peace and co-prosperity in the 21st century,’’ he said. ``It will also include South Korea’s position on U.N. reform.’’

Chung added that Roh will also attend roundtable discussions with other world leaders in several groups during the 60th session of the U.N. General Assembly, marking the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the world body.

Sources said Roh may ``encounter’’ leaders of the four nations surrounding the Korean Peninsula, including U.S. President George W. Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao, on the sidelines of the U.N. convention. But they explained that Roh is not scheduled to hold bilateral summits with them, as they will visit South Korea in November for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

In the meantime, Roh will deliver a speech at a dinner meeting hosted by the Korea Society on Sept. 15 to discuss the relationship between South Korea and the U.S. He will deliver the private think tank’s annual Van Fleet award to former U.S. president George Bush.

Before the New York events, Roh will visit Mexico and Costa Rica at the invitation of the two Central American nations’ presidents. Following his tour to Brazil, Argentina and Chile last year, next month’s journey will complete his ``Latin American diplomacy,’’ officials said.

On his first leg of the 10-day itinerary, Roh will arrive in Mexico City on Sept. 8 for talks with Mexican President Vicente Fox. The two leaders will discuss an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), a concept that comprises a free trade agreement (FTA), Chung said.

He will also meet more than 30,000 ethnic Koreans during the visit, which comes in the year marking the centennial of Koreans immigration to the North American nation.

After his four-day stay in Mexico, Roh will head for Costa Rica on Sept. 11 to meet with President Abel Pacheco. He will also have meetings with the leaders of eight Latin American states, dubbed ``SICA,’’ on enhancing bilateral ties.

Focus will be placed on seeking cooperation in information technology (IT) and biotechnology (BT) and helping South Korean firms in Costa Rica make inroads into American markets, according to Chung.

jinryu@koreatimes.co.kr