Lee to visit Russia next week for summit with Medvedev

By Yoo Cheong-mo
SEOUL, Sept. 22 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Myung-bak is to visit Russia Sept. 28-Oct. 1 for a summit with his counterpart Dmitry Medvedev to discuss closer cooperation in the energy and resources sectors and in the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae said Monday.

During their summit slated for Sept. 29 in Moscow, Lee and Medvedev will also
discuss concrete measures to promote bilateral cooperation in the aerospace field
and a three-way economic development project involving North Korea, Cheong Wa Dae
officials said.
Lee's upcoming trip to Russia will cap his visit to all four superpowers
surrounding the Korean Peninsula, as he has already visited the U.S., Japan and
China.
"Lee will hold intensive talks with Medvedev regarding South Korea's long-term
and stable imports of Russian natural gas and joint development of offshore mines
in Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula," said a Cheong Wa Dae official.
"The two leaders will also sign about 30 accords on bilateral cooperation in the
development of small-sized satellites," the official said.
Lee and Medvedev already met on the sidelines of the Group of Eight summit in
Japan in early July and agreed broadly on cooperation in the energy and resources
sectors and in the denuclearization of North Korea.
At the July summit, they also agreed to push ahead with the two countries'
efforts to link the trans-Korean railway, or TKR, with Russia's trans-Siberian
railway, known as the TSR.
ycm@yna.co.kr
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