Thaindian News

New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS) South Korean President Lee Myung-bak Monday met Indian leaders, including External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna, and discussed cooperation in areas of civil nuclear energy and space.
Lee, who will be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations Tuesday, was accorded a warm ceremonial welcome in the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan as he began the official leg of his four-day visit to India.

Krishna called on Lee and discussed a range of bilateral and regional issues, including the pacts on IT and civilian space, that are expected to be signed later in the day.

Besides Krishna, the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chair Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Hamid Ansari also met Lee.

Accompanied by ministers, parliamentarians and businesspersons, Lee arrived here from Chennai Sunday evening.

Lee made a pitch for greater trade and investment between India and South Korea, two of the region’s fastest growing economies.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will hold talks with Lee Monday evening on a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues, including the intensification of economic ties and cooperation in sphere of civilian nuclear cooperation and space technologies.

Closer cooperation in combating global financial recession will also be discussed in the context of the G20 summit Seoul will host later this year.

Spurred by their bilateral trade of over $16 billion, which got a boost with the coming into force of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement Jan 1 this year, the two sides are expected to discuss the contours of a possible civil nuclear pact.

South Korea, a member of the Nuclear Suppliers Group and better known in India for iconic brands like Hyundai cars, Samsung and LG, supported consensus for reopening global civil nuclear trade with India in the NSG in September last year.