Peters to dine with Rice at banquet
Both are attending the inauguration of South Koreas president-elect Lee Myung-bak.
A spokesman for Mr Peters today told NZPA no formal meeting had been set up.
However, Mr Peters would have ample opportunities to talk to Dr Rice during the day, including at a banquet tonight when they were seated at the same table and possibly next to each other.
As Mr Peters had pointed out, the details of todays events were a moveable feast but there would be opportunities to talk.
The spokesman said Mr Peters was going to the inauguration with New Zealands high commissioner. Dignitaries from around the world were there for the open air ceremony.
Mr Peters, who has just finished a visit to Zambia in Africa, is also hoping to meet with other foreign ministers in Seoul for the ceremony in a semi-formal way.
Mr Peters has met Dr Rice on several occasions. He had a brief conversation with her when he went on his first tour of duty as foreign minister in November 2005.
Since then, he has met her several other times - including twice in Washington and also at the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation forum last September in Sydney.
Dr Rice is scheduled to visit Seoul, Beijing and Tokyo as part of six-country negotiations aimed at scrapping North Koreas nuclear weapons.
Mr Peters visited North Korea last November and briefed Dr Rice about the trip when he went to Washington that month.
He said yesterday that South Korea was one of New Zealands leading trade partners in North Asia and it was essential to make early contact with Lee Myung-baks incoming government by attending the inauguration.
Posted
on
Sunday, February 24th, 2008 at 9:35 pm under