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President of The Republic of Korea Lee Myung-Bak (retranslated): Mr President,
It is a great pleasure to see you again after our meeting in St Petersburg last November. I welcome the Russian delegation to Korea. We are very grateful to Russia for making a big contribution to holding this nuclear security summit in Seoul.
If I recall correctly, this is our seventh meeting. We have become very close friends.
Russia and Korea have intensified their cooperation considerably over these last few years. I note too, that despite the global crisis situation, Russia has continued to show good economic growth rates. I think that President Medvedev’s leadership qualities have helped to make this possible. I also congratulate you on Russia’s accession to the WTO.
Once again, I welcome you to our country.
President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev: President Lee Myung-bak, Korean friends,
Mr President, you are right, this is our seventh meeting, and this shows just how active our relations have become and reflects the friendly nature of our ties.
We have indeed met frequently over these last years, much more often than previously in the twenty-year history of our diplomatic relations. This has brought us visible results. Our bilateral trade has reached a record level, and this is particularly important at this time of economic difficulties.
I note your personal contribution to developing the trade, humanitarian and other ties between our countries.
Thank you very much for inviting us to attend this nuclear summit. I am sure it will be of the highest level.
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