South Korea, ECLAC ink accords in Chile to bolster trade with the Caribbean

SANTIAGO – The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) has signed two agreements with South Korea that would bolster trade between Asia and the Latin American and Caribbean region, with an emphasis on fulfilling the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

These agreements were penned by the Ambassador of the Republic of Korea in Chile, In-gyun Chung, and the UN regional organization’s executive secretary, Alicia Bárcena, during a meeting held at ECLAC’s headquarters in Santiago, Chile.

At the meeting, ELAC said In-gyun Chung underscored ECLAC’s work and “expressed his intention of prolonging and expanding bilateral strategic cooperation, oriented toward the needs of Latin American and Caribbean countries.”

Bárcena said it was “highly important for the region to continue exchanging experiences with the Republic of Korea, a country that managed to escape the middle income trap through investment in science, technology and innovation.”

“The region’s countries are facing similar dilemmas, which is why sharing experiences is very relevant,” Bárcena added.

ECLAC said the first agreement signed on Wednesday is a 2017-2019 program that addresses the sustainable development of exports and the strengthening of the Asia Pacific–Latin America Observatory.

“This is the first multi-year program signed by ECLAC and the Republic of Korea, and it will allow for consolidating bilateral cooperation and planning actions over a longer term,” the ECLAC said in a statement.