The members of the delegation, including officials of a number of government ministries and state-run corporations, are to explore possibilities on the spot for the development of Seoul’s economic cooperation with the above-mentioned countries that are potential sources for the supply of raw materials for the Republic of Korea (RK).

The new government of Lee Myung-bak is interested in South Korean companies’ active participation in mutually beneficial development of deposits of energy resources and economic minerals, Itar-Tass reported.

Central Asian countries are attractive to the RK government and businessmen due to their rich reserves of oil, natural gas, coal, and uranium ores. The tour will be used for preparing a visit to countries in the region by RK Prime Minister Han Seung-soo. The visit is planned for May

South Korea later than other developed countries of the world joined the global process of developing the world’s resources of hydrocarbons and various economic minerals, particularly those in the Middle East. Seoul now seeks to get ahead of its Western competitors in the process of consolidating the positions of its businesses on the territories of countries in Central Asia and Eastern Trans-Caucasus.