Brussels, 23/05/2005 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission plans to start negotiations on a cooperation agreement with South Korea on the development of the Galileo programme as soon as the Council has given its approval. “Galileo attracts interest from countries all over the world. Negotiations with South Korea, the fourth economic power in Asia, represents a new step forward in international cooperation for Galileo”, Jacques Barrot, Vice-President of the Commissioner responsible for transport policy, said on 23 May. It would obviously be to South Korea's advantage to take part in the Galileo system, in so far as it actively uses the satellite navigation services in fields such as transport, fleet management, science and geodesy.
The possibility of a cooperation agreement between the EU and South Korea on the Galileo programme had already been evoked during the bilateral summit in October 2004 (EUROPE 8808). The Commission hopes to give the Galileo system world coverage, by multiplying international cooperation agreements: after China and Israel, with which agreements have already been signed, negotiations are under way with Russia, Ukraine, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, India, Malaysia and Australia.