US, S Korea to discuss future of bilateral strategic alliance.

21/7 Tass 11

SEOUL, July 21 (Itar-Tass) -- The US Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton will have talks on Wednesday with South Korea's Minister of
Foreign Affairs and Trade--Yu Myung-hwan to discuss the future of the US -
South Korean strategic alliance and the bilateral agreement on free trade,
which has not been developing lately.
The two-plus-two meting will be organised in South Korea for the first
time. The US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates and the South Korean
Minister of National Defence Kim Tae-Young will take part in the meeting,
too. The participation of the US two governmental officials proves the
importance of relations with Seoul for Washington, a source in Korea's
foreign ministry said.
A joint statement on the negotiations is expected to evaluate the
state of Seoul and Washington's alliance, experts say. The participants in
the two-plus-two meeting may discuss joint large-scale military manoeuvres
and measures to deter new possible provocations from the DPRK, South Korea'
s Renhap agency said.
-0-kar/mil