Foreign Minister Begins Trip to Russia, Mongolia
By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Yu Myung-hwan left for Russia, Tuesday, to discuss preparations for a bilateral summit.
During a three-day visit to Russia, Yu will meet with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to fine-tune the schedule and agenda for a summit between the leaders of the two countries slated for later this month, ministry officials said.
Yu will also discuss ways of promoting ties between Seoul and Moscow, including the joint development of natural resources, and cooperation in the defense industry and energy fields, they said.
``Yu's visit to Russia, the first of its kind since the inauguration of the new South Korean government, is expected to help establish high-level diplomatic channels between the two nations,'' a ministry spokesman told reporters.
Sources said South Korea is seeking a large-scale deal with Russia on the import of oil and natural gas on the sidelines of the summit.
Yu is scheduled to fly to Mongolia Friday for a two-day visit on his way back to Seoul. He will meet with his Mongolian counterpart to discuss bilateral relations.
He will also pay courtesy calls on Mongolian President Nambaryn Enkhbayar and Prime Minister Sanj Bayar.