Kim to meet 4-5 foreign leaders during ASEM

Foreign Affairs-Trade Minister Lee Joung-Binn, holding a press conference Tuesday at the Central Government Building Complex, said that President Kim Dae-Jung is likely to meet with four or five government leaders during the upcoming third ASEM (Asia-Pacific Meeting) slated for Oct. 20 in Seoul. The minister explained that leaders of many nations had expressed intentions to meet with President Kim, but he is not in a position to comply with their demands, in view of the time constraints of a 48-hour long conference period.

President Kim is expected to hold separate talks with Chinese Prime Minister Zhu Rongji and three or four other leaders including the French president and German prime minister.

Meanwhile, Minister Lee, concerned with the movements of some non-governmental organizations (NGOs), has asked the groups to refrain from resorting to any radical activities, to guarantee the successful staging of the ASEM conference. Disclosing that the ASEM talks would discuss poverty problems arising from globalization, he stressed that the NGOs constructive participation in various fields with special concern is welcome but that their radical demonstrations are not desirable.