Contact: Rob Ostrander 202.224.7627 Shana Stribling 202.224.0309
Tuesday, March 28, 2006

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Kit Bond has returned from a week-long trip to India and South Korea where he met with military and government officials from both countries to discuss intelligence and national security issues, as well as trade issues effecting Missouri jobs.

“India and the Korean peninsula will play an important role regarding the economic and national security of the United States and Missouri for a long time to come. It is at our peril that we ignore this fact and it will be to our benefit to continue to build enduring partnerships with both countries.”

In both India and South Korea Bond focused on national security issues facing America and economic issues affecting Missouri.

In South Korea, Bond, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, received classified military briefings, toured the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea and focused on the potential future sale of additional St. Louis-made F-15s.

“There is an opportunity for us to turn over more responsibilities and require fewer U.S. troops on the ground in Korea, while still maintaining our capability against possible actions by the North Korea,” said Bond.

During his visit Bond met with Korean and United States investors who are considering locating a new technology polymer-ion battery plant in Missouri which could provide the batteries needed for hybrid automobiles, cells phones and cordless power tools.

In addition, Bond also talked with a top national assemblyman involved in education issues about the possibility of expanding Parents as Teachers to South Korea. The Parents as Teachers program is an early childhood education program Bond initiated while serving as Missouri’s governor.

In India, Bond had significant intelligence briefings on the region. In addition, he met with top-level officials including the Indian Prime Minister, Defense Minister and Commerce Minister to discuss the potential of the F/A-18 fighter to replace existing aircraft in the Indian military.

With India experiencing severe rural poverty, Bond noted that the new Agricultural Knowledge Initiative and biotechnology cooperation between the U.S. and India would involve bringing teams from United States' land grant colleges, as well as help set up a meaningful and profitable agricultural sector.

Bond called the peaceful nuclear initiative signed between India and the United States a “major step” in solving energy problems and added that clean coal technology can help bring rural India out of poverty.