Kazakhstan, South Korea Vow To Boost Ties

(RFE/RL) ASTANA, September 22, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- The prime ministers of Kazakhstan and South Korea held talks today in Astana and signed several bilateral documents that aim at boosting bilateral economic ties.
Kazakh Prime Minister Daniyal Akhmetov says in a statement that he and Han Myeong-sook agreed to continue developing joint projects in the energy, uranium-extraction, construction, transportation, and banking sectors.

Akhmetov reportedly offered South Korea the opportunity to participate in the development of a new type of nuclear reactor.

Kazakh media quoted Akhmetov as saying that Seoul has injected over $2 billion in Kazakhstan's economy and that South Korean investors have stakes in more than 300 Kazakhstan-based companies.

Earlier today, Han handed President Nursultan Nazarbaev an invitation to visit South Korea next year.

Han will be in Kazakhstan until September 24. She will then travel to neighboring Uzbekistan.

(with Kazakhstan Today and Interfax-Kazakhstan)