YONHAP NEWS

(LEAD) Korea, Jordan to cooperate on atomic plant, waterway construction

By Yoo Cheong-mo
SEOUL, Dec. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and Jordanian King Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein held summit talks in Seoul Monday and agreed to help South Korean companies seeking to participate in Jordan's infrastructure projects, Lee's office said in a statement.

The Jordanian king arrived in South Korea on Sunday for a three-day state visit aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.

"King Abdullah explained his government's plans to construct nuclear power plants, a waterway linking the Red and Dead seas and desalination facilities and asked for South Korean companies' participation in such projects," said the statement.

   "In response, Lee promised to help South Korean firms take part in the Jordanian infrastructure projects," it added.

   At the talks, Abdullah said he plans to open a Jordanian embassy in South Korea in the second half of next year, the statement noted. The Jordanian ambassador to Japan has up to now administered South Korea-Jordan relations.

   South Korea established its own embassy in Jordan in 1975.

   Following the talks, Lee and Abdullah observed their Cabinet ministers sign memorandums of understanding on closer bilateral cooperation in atomic power generation and waterway construction, while the two countries' trade and commerce promotion agencies concluded separate MOUs on closer two-way cooperation, according to presidential officials.

   The resource-poor Jordan plans to build several nuclear power plants with the aim of increasing the atomic portion of its power generation to 30 percent by 2040. The Middle Eastern nation also plans to spend about US$5 billion over the next decade on the construction of a waterway between the Dead and Red seas. The waterway project is aimed at addressing the declining water level of the Dead Sea.

   South Korea and Jordan established diplomatic relations in 1962.

   ycm@yna.co.kr
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