Lee calls for cooperation with Kazakhstan to fight crisis

By Byun Duk-kun
ASTANA, May 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak Wednesday urged
his country and Kazakhstan to build what he called the "three beltways" of
energy, information technology and transportation between the countries to create
a growth engine that will get the two countries out of the global economic
crisis.
Lee said combining Kazakhstan's vast land and natural resources with Seoul's
advanced technologies will provide both countries with newfound competitiveness.
"The countries must join forces to fight the global economic crisis by upgrading
their relationship to a strategic partnership," the president said in a business
forum attended by some 150 Korean and Kazakh officials and business
representatives.
The president arrived in Astana Tuesday, following his three-day state visit to
Uzbekistan.
He and Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev earlier agreed to establish a
strategic partnership in a summit.
Increased cooperation in the energy sector will create a "win-win" situation for
the countries as synergy from the move will spill over into other industrial
sectors, such as infrastructure, Lee said in the meeting.
"A transportation beltway will bring us reform in the entire transportation
sector, including air, railroad and vessels," he said.
Lee and Nazarbayev earlier agreed to begin negotiations on the introduction of
Seoul's wireless broadband, called WiBro, to Internet technology in Kazakhstan.
The South Korean head of state also called for joint efforts to develop green
energy, which he said will give the countries competitiveness once the economic
crisis comes to an end.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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