Mexican Pres. Vincente Fox says Mexico wants to sign a free trade agreement with South Korea.

In an interview with Seoul-based Yonhap news agency on Tuesday, the Mexican leader expressed his anticipation over an FTA with Seoul, saying that the two countries have already established relevant committees toward negotiating a free trade pact.

Fox also said he is hoping to discuss boosting bilateral trade, economic and investment ties with Pres. Roh Moo-hyun on the sidelines of the APEC forum in Chile over the weekend.

Fox stressed the need to strengthen bilateral ties on the occasion of the centennial of South Koreans’ immigration to Mexico next year.

As for the international standoff over North Korea’s nuclear ambitions, the Mexican president said the issue should be resolved peacefully within a multilateral framework.