Article Posted on : - Mar 26, 2012

SEOUL (PTI): Seeking to enhance space cooperation, India has offered to launch South Korean satellites.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made the offer during the wide ranging bilateral talks he had with South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak here on March 25.

"India has also offered to launch Korean satellites on Indian space launch vehicles," Singh told reporters after the talks at Lee's presidential residence -- The Blue House.

A joint statement issued after the talks said that the two leaders pledged to enhance cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space as envisaged in the MoU on cooperation between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI).

"The leaders noted that the technical experts from both sides met in Bangalore, India, in March 2011 and identified priority areas of cooperation," it said.

The Korean side welcomed India's participation in the international open bidding for launching Korean satellites.

"The two leaders proposed that the concerned agencies of both countries study the possible cooperation in future space activities including launching a nano-satellite developed by Korean students on an Indian launch vehicle," the statement said.

ISRO has so far launched satellites built by Israel, Algeria, Singapore, Switzerland, Italy and the Netherlands.

Prime Minister Singh and President Lee welcomed the upgrading of the Joint Committee on Science and Technology to the ministerial level as a foundation for common growth.

They noted that the $10 million joint R&D fund is being actively utilised for joint research projects, human resources exchanges, workshops, and other science and technology cooperation programmes, the joint statement said.

"The two leaders welcomed the growing educational and academic exchanges between the two countries," it said.

Singh and Lee also agreed to promote tie-ups and exchanges between educational institutions of the two countries, with a view to increasing student exchanges in various areas including language, information technology, and science.