MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay South Korea sign wide ranging fisheries agreement

Pte Vazquez and Pte Lee Myung-bak during the meeting

Uruguay and South Korea have agreed on a fisheries pact that will facilitate greater cooperation in the development of marine resources, announced the South Korean Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

The deal is to be signed on Tuesday in Seoul during Uruguayan President Tabare Vazquez's visit, calls for greater exchanges of information and personnel related to the development of fisheries resources. The two countries plan to share know-how on the artificial cultivation of fish, food processing and the distribution of seafood. The ministry said the pact is significant because it will give South Korean fishing vessels better use of the key port of Montevideo, located on the South American country's eastern coast. The port is used as a refueling center for an estimated 50 South Korean vessels that fish near in the South Atlantic and the Antarctic Ocean. "The deal can help boats get supplies, unload catches, refuel and stay in the port when they are not catching fish" said a Seoul government official. "This can greatly facilitate South Korea's deep-sea fishing operations in the region" he added, pointing out that talks on this issue have been ongoing since 2002. The agreement is to be signed by Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Chang Tae-pyong and Uruguay's Minister of Cattle, Agriculture and Fisheries Ernesto Agazzi. Uruguayan president Tabare Vazquez, the first ever to visit South Korea since diplomatic relations were established in 1964, is scheduled to meet his South Korean counterpart Lee Myung-bak on Tuesday.