India, Korea agree on naval tie-up

The India-Korea Agreement on cooperation in civil-nuclear energy has opened up cooperation in a “new sector” between the two countries. “South Korean President Lee Myung Bak and I agreed to enhance defence and security cooperation between our two countries including Naval cooperation to protect the sea lanes of communication,” Patil told reporters on Board the aircraft while returning from Mongolia on Friday afternoon.

President Lee, during President Patil’s first leg of visit to Seoul, had also assured that the Korean Defence Minister would visit India this year to “maintain the momentum of cooperation.” The Indian President made a detailed statement on the outcome of her talks with President and the Mongolian Head of State Ts Elbegdorj.

To a question from the accompanying media persons, Patil said the civil-nuclear agreement with South Korea was an “enabling Agreement”. Now, both countries will have further talks on “how to move forward”. There would be a ‘Conference on Nuclear Security’ in Korea later this year in which India will also participate, the President said.

“I fully reciprocated these sentiments and indicated that we wanted to take our  ‘Strategic Partnership’ with the Republic of Korea and our ‘Comprehensive Partnership’ with Mongolia to a higher trajectory,” the President said, adding, in both Seoul and Ulaanbaatar, three inter-Governmental agreements had been signed.

In particular, the President described India’s pact with Mongolia on defence cooperation “as a very important agreement that will add depth and substance to India-Mongolia ties.”

As regards exploration of the rich Uranium deposits in Mongolia, a strategic mineral needed for boosting India’s power generation through peaceful uses of nuclear energy,  Patil said Mongolia would  also be sending a team to India to discuss the issue. “I impressed upon the Mongolian leadership that for the future benefit, we should go together in this (in Uranium mining).

The President, who met with leaders of both countries’ respective national legislative bodies and discussed ways to expand parliamentary exchanges, was accompanied by among others, Mahadeo Singh Khandela,  Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs.

Patil said she had also invited both Korea and Mongolia, to “actively involve themselves in the rejuvenation and rebuilding of the Nalanda University as a Centre of Excellence in Asia.”

With Buddhist links between the three Nations providing a vital thread, Mongolian President Elbegdorg and the First lady paid an endearing tribute to it while seeing off Patil and her spouse early on Saturday at the  Chinggis Khan International Airport in Ulaanbaatar.