South Korea, Kyrgyzstan sign agreement on development aid

South Korean President Park Geun-hye and her Kyrgyz counterpart Almazbek Atambayev signed an agreement Tuesday on Seoul's greater development aid to the Central Asian nation. The signing took place following a summit meeting between the two leaders, Park's office said in a press release. The Kyrgyz president arrived to Seoul Monday on a three-day official visit to South Korea. Under the so-called basic agreement on grant-type aid, South Korea will provide various types of assistance to Kyrgyzstan to help reduce poverty and contribute to social and economic development in the Central Asian nation, according to the release. The assistance is also expected to help strengthen the two countries' ties, according to (Yonhap) news agency. The agreement calls on the South Korean government to invite Kyrgyz citizens for free training in the country, to send professionals and volunteer workers to Kyrgyzstan, and to provide free equipment, machines and supplies for its development programs in the Central Asian nation. Between 1987 and 2012, South Korea gave a total of US$22 million in aid to Kyrgyzstan, including $8.6 million in grant-type aide. The rest was given in credit assistance, according to official data. The two leaders also signed an agreement between their nations to allow holders of a driver's license in one nation to receive a driving permit in the other country without additional exams and a memorandum of understanding between the two governments on expanding bilateral cooperation in the energy, natural resources and industrial sectors, according to the office.