SEOUL, Sept 29: Pakistan and Korea on Thursday agreed to revive their dormant joint ministerial commission and signed two agreements for economic and cultural exchanges. The agreements were signed before formal talks between the prime ministers of the two countries.

Under one agreement South Korea would provide $17.9 million (Seventeen billion nine hundred and three million Korean Won) to Pakistan for 220-kv Ghazi Road Grid Station in Lahore. The credit has been extended under Economic Cooperation Development Fund on soft terms.

Pakistan’s Minister of State for Economic Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar signed the agreement for Pakistan while the chairman and president of EXIM Bank of Korea represented his country.

The cultural exchange programme agreement was signed by Foreign Secretary Riaz Mohammad Khan and South Korea’s deputy foreign minister.

During formal talks, the two prime ministers exchanged views on measures for improving bilateral commercial, economic and other ties.

Briefing Pakistani media, Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said that the two sides agreed to revive the joint ministerial commission which had been dormant since 1996. He said that a civil aviation team would visit South Korea in December to explore the possibility of extending PIA’s flight from Beijing to Seoul for promotion of cultural and tourist exchanges.

He also solicited S Korean support for training of Pakistan’s retired skilled people and said that the Korean prime minister liked the idea. He also proposed that Pakistan should be included in the list of countries for which South Korea would ease its visa policy.

Pakistan also proposed joint excavations of Buddhist sites in Swat. Besides, Pakistan will send a team to S Korea to study its curriculum.