Clark signs film deal with S Korea

New Zealand and South Korea have signed a bilateral arrangement for co-operation between the two countries' film and television industries.

The agreement was signed today by Prime Minister and Arts Minister Helen Clark and South Korean Culture and Tourism Minister Chung Dong-Chea in Pusan where Helen Clark is attending the Apec leaders' summit.

The PM also unveiled the New Zealand War Memorial at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Pusan to commemorate of the Kiwi troops who served in the Korean War in the early 1950s.

Helen Clark and the other Apec leaders earlier agreed on a strong statement about kick-starting global trade liberalisation.

The first leaders' retreat - overnight New Zealand time - saw the 21 Apec (Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation) leaders focus on economic issues and the second session today will focus on wider issues such as terrorism, the potential threat of avian flu, energy issues and combating corruption.

Helen Clark said the Apec meeting could help put new life into the World Trade Organisation (WTO) talks known as the Doha round.

WTO ministers are meeting in December in Hong Kong but there is very little common ground between Europe and other countries on agricultural trade.

He said: "I think it does have an impact because you have sitting at the Apec table representatives of three significant groups: One -- the United States, which is a force in its own right at the WTO negotiations. Second -- the Cairns group, which we are a part of. And thirdly -- members of the G20, which includes China, very significantly.

"So if leaders spanning those three groups can come up with a strong declaration by consensus that must have an impact."

The Prime Minister arrived in Busan after flying from the successful bid in Dublin to host the Rugby World Cup in 2011 and had to quickly come down to earth.

"It might be an anti-climax after the Rugby World Cup to settle down to the Bogor goals and the mid-term stocktake review. But it is an important meeting and I have been briefed on the likely shape of the declaration," she said.

The aim of the Bogor goals -- set in Bogor, West Java, in 1994 -- was for developed countries to comply by 2010, and developing countries by 2020.

They outline the 21 Apec members' commitment to free trade amongst its developed nations by 2010 and Miss Clark will be one of the leaders finalising a joint declaration covering the stalled World Trade Organisation trade liberalisation talks and other matters.

As the leaders met, thousands of farm activists and union workers clashed with police not far from the venue hurling bottles and swinging bamboo sticks at police who responded with water cannon.

- NZPA, REUTERS