Above: Bridgetown (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Barbados and South Korea are pledging to strengthen their existing ties and forge closer relationships in several areas, Bajan Prime Minister Freundel Stuart and South Korean Ambassador to Barbados Hwang Won-Jun said following a meeting at Ilaro Court.

The two countries formed diplomatic relations in 1977, and have since enjoyed what Stuart called a “very stable relationship.”

“There is much scope for the deepening of those ties, because we share democratic values,” Stuart said.

One area could be green growth, which Stuart said Barbados had been “very vocal in pushing.”

“I see the interest of [South] Korea and Barbados coinciding and that is a basis on which we can work more closely together,” he said.

Hwang mentioned plans to promote Barbados as a potential holiday destination for Koreans.

Barbados and some of its Caribbean neighbours have been working to attract tourism from Asia.

“We welcome tourists from where we can get them, and I would be delighted to see more Koreans coming to this part of the world,” Stuart said.