Russian President Leaves for South KoreaRussian President Vladimir Putin left early Monday for South Korea for a two-day official visit.Shortly before his departure, the president discussed with cabinet members and top Kremlin staff at the airport on economic and trade cooperation with the two countries he is going to visit-- South Korea and Vietnam, said the presidential press service. Sergei Prikhodko, deputy head of the presidential administration, spoke earlier at a briefing that Putin's Seoul trip will focus on trade and economic cooperation, since there are no political problems between Russia and South Korea. He said the two sides will also touch upon some international problems, such as the inter-Korean relations, the situation in Southeast Asia, and multilateral exchange within the framework of international organizations. During his first visit to Seoul as a President, Putin is scheduled to meet with his South Korean counterpart Kim Dae-jung and other governmental and parliamentary top leaders. He is also expected to hold a meeting with leading South Korean businessmen with the attendance of 30 Russian bigs from the banking sector, as well as the oil and chemical industries. The president will leave South Korea for Vietnam on February 28.This is the first visit by Russian top leader to Hanoi since the former Soviet Union collapsed in 1992. |
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