India and South Korea on Thursday discussed a host of bilateral issues with external affairs minister S.M. Krishna, who is on a official visit there, suggesting that South Korean satellites could be launched by Indian launch vehicles.
Describing the 40-minute meeting between Mr Krishna and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak as “constructive and fruitful”, the external affairs ministry said in a statement that the two leaders underscored the importance of increasing people-to-people exchanges to bolster the bilateral strategic partnership.
Recalling his “landmark” visit here in 2010 as the chief guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations, Mr Lee appreciated Mr Krishna’s visit to Seoul for the 6th Joint Commission meeting (JCM), soon after his own, which would give further impetus to bilateral relations and the initiatives announced during his visit to India.
Mr Krishna also suggested a bust of Rabindranath Tagore, who had described Korea as the “Lamp of the East”, be installed at a prominent location in Seoul. Warming to the idea, President Lee said he would make a strong recommendation to the concerned city authorities to identify a suitable location for installing the of Tagore in 2011, the 150th birth anniversary of the Nobel Laureate.
Referring to the MoU for cooperation signed last January between the Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) and Korean Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), Mr Krishna suggested ROK satellites could be launched by Indian launch vehicles. —PTI