South Korea will convene joint economic committees with the Czech Republic and Bulgaria respectively next week to discuss ways to bolster bilateral trade and investment, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday.
  

In the committee meetings set for Monday in Prague and for Tuesday in Sofia, Lee Tae-ho, deputy minister for economic affairs, will discuss ways to boost economic cooperation with the European countries, the ministry said in a statement.
  

The Czech side will be represented by Vladimir Bartl, deputy minister of industry and trade, with the Bulgarian party headed by Valery Borissov, deputy minister of transport, information technology and communications.
  

Also to be on the table will be bilateral cooperation on the information and communication technology sector as well as energy and infrastructure building segments, according to the ministry.
  

In the Monday meeting with the Czech Republic, the officials also plan to discuss ways to help Korean firms make a foray into the defense and nuclear plant industries, it said. The two countries manage bilateral trade of about US$2.4 billion each year.
  

The South Korea-Bulgaria committee meeting marks its inaugural session following the summit meeting of the two countries' heads of state in May, the ministry added.
  

"Given the growing highlight of central Europe's strategic importance to South Korea, we will closely discuss ways to strengthen economic collaboration with these central European nations, the main bridgehead to the entrance of broader Europe," according to the ministry's statement. (Yonhap)