Siberian dept of RAS to open branch in S Korea in May 2011

SEOUL, October 25 (Itar-Tass) - The Korean branch of the Siberian
Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) will be opened in May
2011 near the city of Gangneung in the east coast of the country, South
Korean Minister of Education, Science and Technology Ju-Ho Lee said on
Monday in a joint exclusive interview with Itar-Tass and the central South
Korean newspaper Choongang Ilbo.
Speaking about (South Korea's) experiences, future plans of scientific
and technological cooperation and joint research with the Russian Academy
of Sciences, the minister noted that "in 1992 we concluded an agreement
between the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF) and RAS,
under which started to conduct joint research and exchanges of
scientists." The Korea Institute of Science and Technology together with
several research institutes of the Siberian Department of RAS on this
basis opened in July 2010 a Russian-Korean centre of bio-cooperation for
the joint research in the sphere of biotechnology and technical
cooperation.
Next week, the Russia-Korea scientific and technological cooperation
centre and RAS will hold within the currently marked 20th anniversary of
the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, a
Russian-Korean scientific and technological forum on nanotechnology,
chemistry and biotechnology.
In addition, the minister said, "South Korea and Russia cooperate
closely also in the ITER project." The large-scale ITER project is an
excellent example of joint efforts and cooperation of South Korea with
Russia, the United States, Europe, Japan, China and India," he noted. ITER
is a large-scale scientific experiment intended to prove the viability of
fusion as an energy source, and to collect the data necessary for the
design and subsequent operation of the first electricity-producing fusion
power plant.
"Such international scientific and technical cooperation will help
solve the problems of energy shortage in the world and the environment
protection. This cooperation is one of the ways to ensure the future
development of humankind," Ju-Ho Lee stressed.
According to the Russian embassy to South Korea, diplomatic relations
between the Russian Federation (former USSR) and the Republic of Korea
were established in 1990. Russian-Korean relations have been rapidly
developing for the past 20 years and covered almost all significant
spheres. Summits played a large part in this process. Presidents of the
two countries have met 21 times since the establishment of diplomatic
relations. The official visit of the President of the Republic of Korea
Lee Myung-bak to the Russian Federation on September 28-30, 2008,
confirmed that the relations with the ROK are considered as a priority of
the Russian foreign policy in the Asia-Pacific region. The main event in
2009 were summit talks between the President of the Russian Federation and
the President of the Republic of Korea in Oakville (Italy, July 9), which
contributed to further deepening of multidimensional cooperation aimed at
adding the feature of strategic partnership to the bilateral relations.