New Delhi: India and South Korea will explore
possibility of a civilian nuclear deal and ways to further
trade and business ties during a Joint Commission meeting
co-chaired by External Affairs Minister S M Krishna in Seoul
on Friday.
Krishna and his South Korean counterpart Yu Myung-hwan
will co-chair the 6th meeting of the India-South Korea Joint
Commission and explore prospects of stepping up cooperation in
the defence sector, particularly in counter-terrorism.
"Some agreements are likely to be concluded after the
talks," Vishnu Prakash, External Affairs Ministry spokesman
told reporters.
During his three-day visit, beginning tomorrow, Krishna
will call on President Lee Myung-bak, meet the Defence
Minister Kim Tae-young, address the Institute of Foreign
Affairs and National Security as also the Indian community.
Bilateral trade between India and South Korea was 15
billion dollars in 2008 and the two countries have decided to
double it by 2014.
"Civil nuclear cooperation will be discussed during the
meeting. We do not know it what direction it would go, but we
will have something for the press at the end of the meeting,"
Gautam Bambawale, Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the MEA,
said.
South Korea, a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group,
supported the waiver for India in the NSG in September 2008.
On defence cooperation, he said the two countries were
exploring possibilities of cooperation in anti-piracy
operations in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden.
Prakash said a Festival of India would be organised across
South Korea in 2011.
He noted that the South Korean President was the Chief
Guest at the Republic Day celebrations this year.
PTI
