"It's pleasant to note that for the year that has passed since [last] November's summit of our leaders in Busan, the Russian-South Korean relations have deepened in many fields, and much was done during the visit of Russia's prime minister to Seoul last month," Sergei Lavrov said while opening talks with his South Korean counterpart Song Min-soon.
During talks in November 2005 in Busan, Russian and South Korean leaders Vladimir Putin and Roh Moo-hyun focused on trade and energy issues. Putin said then that Russia-South Korea trade may reach $7 billion in 2005.
Lavrov congratulated Song Min-soon on being appointed Foreign Minister and on former Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon's election as the next UN secretary general.
The Russian minister said he hopes for close ties for the benefit of partnership development between the two countries.
Song Min-soon thanked Lavrov for his warm words and for consecutive work to promote Ban Ki-moon as a candidate for the UN secretary general.
The current secretary general of the UN, Kofi Annan, is due to step down December 31 after heading the international body for two five-year terms.
