<br/>The President, Mrs. Pratibha Devi Singh Patil has exuded confidence that the ongoing visit of the South Korean President will prove a major milestone in ever expanding ties between India and South Korea.<br/><br/>Speaking at the banquet organized in honour of the visiting dignitary, President Lee Myung-bak at Rastrapati Bhavan last evening, Mrs. Patil asserted that implementation of bilateral comprehensive economic partnership agreement will open new opportunities for growth in trade, investment and services.<br/><br/>Mrs. Patil said that the bilateral partnership has been raised to a strategic level and the two countries are working closely in the East Asia summit process. Mrs Patil said both India and South Korea believe that such an architecture should remain open and exclusive for prosperity and peace in the region. Mr. Lee Myung-bak will be the chief guest at today's Republic Day parade.<br/><br/>Meanwhile, India and South Korea have decided to develop bilateral civil nuclear cooperation for generating clean energy. The understanding was reached between the two countries following summit level talks between the South Korean President and the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in New Delhi last evening. <br/><br/>AIR correspondent reports this development assumes greater significance as India is exploring all possible ways for getting clean energy.<br/><br/>India's quest for energy security will further get a fillip when the ninth civil nuclear cooperation deal is signed with South Korea.<br/><br/>Coming close on the heels of similar understanding with Canada, the energy road map charted out by Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh is making a steady progress.<br/><br/>While the concerns on global warming is becoming a reality with added pressure on developing nations on curtailing carbon emission, India has taken a lead in right earnest by harping on clean energy.<br/><br/>Altogether four agreements were signed in the fields of Information Technology and Services, Science and Technology, peaceful uses of outer space and transfer of sentenced persons between the two countries. <br/><br/>During the summit level talks the two leaders also agreed on the need for greater cooperation between the navies and coast guards in international waters to maintain peace and stability in the Asia Pacific region.<br/><br/>The two leaders reiterated their commitment to the eradication of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and agreed to enhance cooperation in this area including information sharing.<br/><br/>Both the countries agreed to set a target of 30 billion US dollars for bilateral trade to be achieved by 2014. They also agreed to enhance cooperation in the financial sector through bilateral consultations on macroeconomic policy, budget, taxation, finance and public sector reform.<br/><br/>Addressing a luncheon meeting with the capitans of industry, the South Korean President invited Indian companies to enhance their investment in his country.<br/><br/>Earlier, South Korean President called for greater partnership in the economic, political and cultural areas to put the relations between the two countries on a higher pedestal.<br/>