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Brussels, 23 May 2005

Today the European Commission sought Council approval for its recommendation to start negotiations on a cooperation agreement with South Korea on the development of a Civil Global Navigation Satellite system (GNSS). "Galileo attracts the interest from countries all over the world. Negotiations with South Korea, the fourth economic power in Asia, represents a new step forward in the international cooperation for Galileo", stated Jacques Barrot, Vice-President of the Commission in charge of Transport. The Commission intends to start the negotiations immediately after approval of the Council. South Korea is a country mastering space technology and its applications. It produces and consumes electronic goods and systems for which satellite navigation brings competitive advantages. South Korea uses actively satellite navigation services in areas such as transport, fleet management, science and geodesy. International cooperation on GALILEO is developing rapidly. Agreements have already been signed with China and Israel and discussions are under way with India, Russia, Ukraine, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Malaysia and Australia. Moreover, the signature of the EU/US agreement on 26 June 2004 confirmed the full interoperability and compatibility between GALILEO and GPS.

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