Korea-India Summit to Discuss Nuclear Pact
By Na Jeong-ju
Korea Times Correspondent
NEW DELHI _ President Lee Myung-bak arrived here Sunday for a summit today with India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on boosting bilateral relations and partnerships on the global stage.
On his way to New Delhi, Lee stopped over in Chennai on the southeast coast of India, where factories of Korean industrial giants Hyundai Motor and Samsung Electronics are located. It is the first visit to India by a Korean president since 2004.
Upon arrival in the industrial city of Chennai, he visited a Hyundai automobile plant to encourage workers, and met with about 20 Korean businessmen, including the heads of the local branches of Samsung Electronics, Lotte Confectionery and Doosan Infracore.
Lee said he appreciated the efforts by Hyundai workers who were playing their role as vanguards of civilian diplomacy well, according to Cheong Wa Dae.
Entering in 1998, Hyundai's factories produce about 600,000 vehicles per year, making them the carmaker's largest production lines abroad.
During his four-day stay in India, he will focus on strengthening his ``New Asia Initiative'' by laying the groundwork for closer economic ties with the rapidly developing economy.
At the planned summit, President Lee and Prime Minister Singh are expected to sign a pact on nuclear technology exchange for peaceful purposes, opening the way for Korean firms to participate in India's project to build nuclear reactors.
In an interview with The Times of India published Sunday, Lee said his government wants to participate in India's construction of new nuclear power plants, adding there is great potential for the two nations to cooperate economically and on the global stage.
Korea and India, which has a skilled workforce and is rich in natural resources, could join hands for ``green growth'' as part of efforts to fight climate change, he added.
``In particular, I hope Korea, with its superb technology, will take part in India's nuclear power plant construction projects,'' Lee said.
After signing a $20 billion deal to build four reactors in the United Arab Emirates last month, Korea announced plans to nurture its indigenous nuclear plants into a key export item alongside automobiles, semiconductors and ships.
The two leaders will also seek ways to develop bilateral cooperation based on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, the de-facto free trade accord that took effect earlier this month, the presidential office said.
In addition, Seoul hopes to export its KT-1 basic trainer jet to New Delhi, which is pushing for a project to replace its training aircraft in a bid to improve its defense capabilities. Korea has exported KT-1s to Turkey and Indonesia.
President Lee will move to the Swiss ski resort of Davos Wednesday to deliver an address at the World Economic Forum Thursday, in which he will outline Korea's commitment to playing a bridging role between developed and developing countries at the G20 Seoul Summit in November.
In particular, he will stress Korea's efforts to be a voice for Asian countries on the global stage in charting a roadmap for sustainable economic growth, and addressing pressing issues such as climate change. Lee will return home Saturday.