S. Korean foreign minister to visit India next week

By Lee Chi-dong

SEOUL, June 18 (Yonhap) -- South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan will hold talks with his new Indian counterpart S.M. Krishna next week on bilateral and global issues, Yu's aides said Thursday.

Yu will arrive in New Delhi on Monday for the talks, and will also hold meetings
with other senior Indian officials under the country's newly-elected federal
government.
"To be discussed in the foreign ministerial talks, slated for Tuesday, are a
range of pending issues including politics, economy, trade, culture, and consular
affairs, and regional security conditions as well as ways to cooperate on the
international stage," ministry spokesman Moon Tae-young said.
Yu also plans to pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who was
sworn in late last month for a second consecutive five-year term, and will have a
meeting with Commerce Minister Anand Sharma to discuss South Korea's plan to sign
a "comprehensive economic partnership pact" with India.
"The foreign minister's visit to India this time is expected to make big
contributions to the strengthening of South Korea-India ties and the government's
push for the 'New Asia Initiative,'" Moon added.
Yu will return home on Tuesday.
Under the leadership of President Lee Myung-bak, Seoul has stepped up efforts to
improve relations with other Asian nations, especially those in South Asia.