SKorea, New Zealand to seek free trade pact

Fri, May 16 02:24 PM

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) _ Leaders of South Korea and New Zealand have agreed to seek a free trade agreement. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark said in a joint statement after meeting in Seoul on Friday that the two sides would hold "preparatory talks" to study the possibility of such a pact.

The statement did not say when the talks would be held. Clark arrived in South Korea on Thursday for a three-day official visit.

South Korea has signed free trade agreements with Chile, Singapore, the United States and EFTA, which comprises Switzerland, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The country is negotiating one with the European Union.

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