South Korea and Denmark signed a deal Thursday to form a “green growth alliance,” under which they will collaborate on developing eco-friendly technologies and adopt joint action plans to create a greener world.
The two countries also signed a strategic partnership agreement to closely cooperate on security, economic and global issues.
The accords, signed on the sidelines of a summit between South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and Danish Prime Minister Lars Rasmussen in Copenhagen, represent Korea’s growing economic and diplomatic ties with the European nation, Cheong Wa Dae said.
The leaders also adopted a joint declaration on green growth to explore new markets for green products and industries.
It’s the first time for Seoul to forge an alliance with a European counterpart in a non-security area. It also marked Denmark’s first alliance with a foreign country, officials said.
After arriving in the Danish capital on Wednesday, Lee attended the opening ceremony for the Copenhagen office of the Seoul-based Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) at the Technical University of Denmark. It’s the first regional office of the Korea-led global think tank created last year to promote international cooperation on climate change.
Denmark, the United Arab Emirates, Japan and Australia have since pledged financial contributions to the institute. Officials said many other countries have expressed interest in joining the institute.
The GGGI and the Danish government signed a memorandum of understanding that centers on assisting developing nations in the green growth sector. The institute also struck a deal with Danfoss, a leading environment-friendly refrigeration and air conditioning firm, according to the presidential office.
Denmark is part of Lee’s three-nation European visit that has already taken him to Berlin and Frankfurt in Germany. Lee headed to France on Thursday for the last leg of the trip.
A global leader in the green growth arena, Denmark has aggressively pushed for the development of environment-friendly technologies, with an ambitious vision to end reliance on fossil fuels by 2050.
Under the low-carbon, green growth strategy, President Lee is seeking to reduce Korea’s dependence on fossil fuels and promote the development of alternate energy sources, such as solar and wind power.
Earlier on Thursday, Lee and Danish Crown Prince Frederik toured an apartment complex built with environment-friendly, energy-efficient designs. The “8-Tallet” complex in Copenhagen is considered a symbol of Denmark’s push for green policies, the presidential officials said.
Lee also held a meeting with Danish business leaders, calling for greater business cooperation between the two countries in the green sector.
He stressed that the Korea-European Union free trade agreement, set to take effect in July, will expand trade and investment between the two countries.
