The Korea Times: "Roh walks 'Silk Road' of South Korean diplomacy"

Coined the "Silk Road" trip, his visit to Mongolia, Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is part of the Roh administration's programs to diversify the country’s diplomacy.

Seated on the shore of the Caspian Sea, Azerbaijan is an oil-rich country nicknamed the "Land of Fire". It boasts an estimated deposit of seven billion barrels of oil and 850 billion cubic meters of natural gas.

Since South Korea and Azerbaijan established diplomatic ties in 1992, the development of bilateral relations has been relatively slow. Trade remained around a mere $32 million as of 2005.

Song Min-soon, chief secretary to the president for security policy and foreign affairs, said he felt the Central Asian and Caspian regions were like a "marginal land" of South Korean diplomacy.

"There is a blank to be filled up," he said, adding Roh's visit to Azerbaijan would be a good occasion for South Korea to open up its diplomacy in the Caspian region.

During his three-day stay from Wednesday, Roh will discuss with Azerbaijani leaders ways to promote trade and investment between the two countries, including South Korean firms' participation in joint oil and gas development projects in the Caspian Sea.

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