Strategic Partnership with Korea

President Traian Basescu said on Thursday, at the end of the meeting with his South Korean counterpart Lee Myung-bak, that the Joint Declaration on Concluding a Strategic Partnership between Romania and the Republic of Korea was the first document of its kind Romania had signed with any country in the Asian Pacific area.

'I am thanking you for the very good talks we have had today, talks that materialized in signing a document that means the creation of a Strategic Partnership between Romania and the Republic of Korea. The 18 years of continuous economic growth of the relations between the two countries made us sign today a Strategic Partnership that is grounded on several elements: political dialogue, economic cooperation and stimulation of investments, cooperation in the field of security, cooperation in multilateral bodies at world level too, cultural and social cooperation,' said Basescu.

The Head of State voiced conviction that by the next meeting with his South Korean counterpart, which he said he hoped to be held next year, the Foreign Ministers and the other ministers in charge of these questions would develop this document in order to make it come true, by the involvement of the institutions of the two countries.

'We have also examined together the energy projects in the Black Sea region, which are interesting both for Europe and the Republic of Korea. I am thanking you for the total similarity existing in the approaches of Romania and Korea to the questions we have talked about and I assure you of Romania's determination to consolidate the relationship with the Republic of Korea,' said Basescu, who also invited President Lee Myung-bak to Bucharest.

Agerpres