EU and Republic of Korea sign Galileo agreement
The European Union and the Republic of Korea have formally signed a cooperation agreement on Galileo, the European satellite navigation programme. The Agreement on Civil Navigation Satellite System was signed during a bilateral EU-Republic of Korea Summit in Helsinki on 9 September by European Commissioner Benita Ferrero Waldner, Erkki Tuomioja, Minister of Foreign Affairs, on behalf of the Finnish Presidency of the EU, and Ban Ki-Moon, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea. The agreement between the EU and the Republic of Korea was reached earlier this year after months of negotiations. It paves the way for Korea's participation in the project and provides for cooperation in the areas of research, training, industrial cooperation, trade and market development, standards, certification and regulatory measures. 'We are particularly pleased to count the Republic of Korea as an important partner in satellite navigation,' commented European Commission Vice-President Jacques Barrot. 'The country has the know-how to exploit Galileo's state-of-the art technology, particularly in mass markets, and we plan to jointly develop activities for advanced applications which will not only benefit citizens but also increase safety and efficiency in many sectors.' The Republic of Korea is already an active user of satellite navigation services in a number of fields, including transport and science, and is a producer and consumer of a range of goods and systems which could benefit from satellite navigation. At the summit, the leaders also reiterated their commitment to the ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) project, of which both parties are a member. Other items on the agenda included security, particularly with regard to North Korea, climate change and energy security.
Countries
South Korea