Correa to Visit South Korea and Japan next Week

Quito, Sep 3. -Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa will begin official visits to Japan on Monday and to South Korea on Wednesday.

Correa will visit Japan until September 7 and will travel with Ricardo Patino, Minister of Foreign Affairs and a large delegation of ministers.

The objective of his visit is to motivate Japanese investments at local level in strategic and productive projects, to promote trade relations through a business conference and to publicize Ecuador's tourist attractions.

Correa will meet Emperor Akihito, Prime Minister Naoto Kan and Senate President Takeo Nishioka.

The Ecuadorian delegation will travel on Wednesday to South Korea and will remain until Sept 10.

Ecuador is interested in topics such as the South Korean petrochemical infrastructure with a view to the building of the Pacific Refinery and renewable energy projects, which Correa will discuss with his Korean counterpart, Lee Myung-Bak.

The delegation will meet with the Korea Development Institute (KDI), an autonomous policy-oriented research organization established by the Government of Korea as an economic think tank to provide a rigorous academic perspective on the various economic policy issues. It is now called upon to provide expert analysis and advice on all aspects of long- and short-term government policies in areas ranging from domestic economic policy to international trade and investment.

They will also visit the complex of the Hyundai Heavy Industries and the SK Energy refinery, one of the biggest in South Korea and the world. That refinery has a capacity of 840,000 barrels per day, which is of great interest for the future Pacific Refinery, to be built in Manabi province in Ecuador. (Prensa Latina)