President Roh Moo-hyun is scheduled to kick off an 11-day visit to four countries on Sunday, starting with Indonesia. He'll also be in Australia and New Zealand before he heads to the Philippines to take part in the ASEAN Plus Three Summit.

President Roh will be in Jakarta for a three-day state visit. He will meet with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yodhoyono to talk energy cooperation and regional security. The two leaders will adopt a statement after their talks on increased bilateral cooperation in all fields based on a strategic partnership. Cheong Wa Dae says Korea and Indonesia have maintained a close relationship since forming diplomatic ties in 1973.

After leaving Indonesia, President Roh heads for Australia for talks with Prime Minister John Howard. Boosting bilateral trade and investment are high on the agenda of their summit along with the North Korean nuclear standoff. In New Zealand, Roh will hold a one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Helen Clark. He is expected to discuss the growing number of Korean immigrants in both Australia and New Zealand in the summits in the two countries.

The highlight of his overseas tour is the ASEAN+3 Summit in the Philippines. The leaders of the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations members will discuss regional business ties with their Korean, Japanese and Chinese counterparts.

Also in the Philippines, Roh will also attend the East Asian Summit involving ASEAN member countries, Korea, Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand and India. The gathering will discuss regional trade and security in addition to curbing the spread of bird flu. Roh could also hold other bilateral talks on the sidelines of the East Asian Summit.

Arirang News