PMs of S. Korea, Ukraine vow to boost scientific cooperation

(ATTN: CHANGES headline and lead; UPDATES with details throughout; RESTRUCTURES) KIEV, Sept. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and Ukraine on Thursday vowed to push for full-scale bilateral cooperation in science and technology during talks held in Kiev between their prime ministers, the Seoul government said. South Korea's Prime Minister Kim Hwang-sik and his Ukranian counterpart Nikolay Azarov agreed to expand cooperation in industry and technology on the back of South Korea's advanced information technology and Ukraine's expertise in the aerospace and defense sectors. Kim arrived in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, on Wednesday for the second leg of his two-nation tour that also took him to Bulgaria earlier this week. "If Ukraine's globally renowned basic science technology and South Korea's commercialization ability are combined, it could create a win-win model for the two countries to benefit from," Kim said in a press conference following the talks. In response, Azarov urged South Korea to utilize Ukraine's potential and infrastructure in developing its aerospace technology. "We are ready to fully cooperate with South Korea for its aerospace technology advancement," he said. The two leaders evaluated the upward trend of trade between the two nations and shared the opinion that trying to revitalize the economy by luring foreign investment would benefit both sides, Kim's office said. The leaders also pledged to actively seek the possibility of jointly producing bullet trains following a South Korean company's success in exporting 300 million won (US$253,979) worth of such trains, the office said. In addition, the two countries agreed to build an inter-governmental cooperation channel to support civilian investment in future joint agricultural projects between the two countries. Kim is scheduled to return home on Sunday via Russia after visiting an aircraft factory and sitting down with local business figures. South Korea and Ukraine established diplomatic relations in 1992. Two-way trade between the countries totaled some $1.5 billion in 2010, according to Seoul's government data.