South Korean President Moon Jae-in Vows To Improve Ties With Singapore, Association Of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)

South Korean President Moon Jae-in reaffirmed efforts to significantly improve his country's ties with Singapore and other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Friday,

SINGAPORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 13th Jul, 2018 ) :South Korean President Moon Jae-in reaffirmed efforts to significantly improve his country's ties with Singapore and other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) on Friday, saying the countries offered limitless possibilities for joint growth and development.

"I consider our relations with ASEAN very important. We are actively pursuing the New Southern Policy to strengthen our cooperation (with ASEAN) to the level of our cooperation with the four major powers," the president said while meeting with some 400 South Korean residents and business representatives in Singapore. The four major powers refer to China, Japan, Russia and the United States.

The meeting came one day after Moon held a bilateral summit with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, in which the leaders agreed to make joint efforts to boost the countries' bilateral trade and also conclude the ongoing negotiations for a regional free trade agreement, known as the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, at an early date.

"In the summit meeting with Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday, I held in-depth discussions on ways to further upgrade the countries' relationship and to further enrich your lives here," Moon told the meeting.

"The potential for cooperation between the two countries are limitless. We will take joint efforts to spearhead the fourth industrial revolution while creating new growth engines in smart cities and fintech," he added.

Friday's meeting wrapped up Moon's two-nation Asia tour that earlier took him to India. Moon said his trip may have helped diversify South Korea's friends and markets in the international community.

"I am very happy to report that we have greatly expanded the area of our diplomatic relations to South Asia through this trip to India and Singapore," he said. Moon arrived here Wednesday becoming the first South Korean president to make a state visit to Singapore in 15 years.

He was set to head home later in the day, wrapping up his six-day trip that began Sunday.