Kazakh PM postpones visit to S. Korea

SEOUL, July 16 (Yonhap) -- Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Masimov's planned visit to
South Korea next week was to be postponed indefinitely due to unexpected
scheduling issues, the foreign ministry here said Thursday.
Masimov, who was initially due in Seoul on Sunday for a three-day trip, called
his South Korean counterpart to ask for Seoul's understanding, the ministry said.
Masimov explained that he needed to stay in the country as the acting head of
state while Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev's was on an overseas trip that
was finalized on Wednesday and happened to coincide with the prime minister's
scheduled visit here.
Nazarbayev's overseas itinerary apparently wasn't disclosed earlier due to
security reasons, officials here said.
The prime ministers had been expected to discuss ways to promote ties in various
sectors including trade, energy, aerospace, agriculture, and construction.
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak traveled to the Central Asian nation in May
and agreed with his counterpart to upgrade the two nations' relations to a
"strategic partnership."
Two-way trade between South Korea and Kazakhstan totals roughly US$700 million.
odissy@yna.co.kr
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