President Roh Moo-hyun has expressed anticipation that South Korea will actively participate in Siberian energy development projects.

In a meeting with visiting Russian Transportation Minister Igor Levitin on Tuesday, Roh stressed that closer South Korea-Russia relations in strategic industries, including gas and petroleum, would help boost stability in Northeast Asia.

Levitin's meeting with Roh came after the Russian official met with Finance Minister Lee Hun-jai. During their meeting, the two ministers agreed to strengthen cooperation in the areas of aerospace and fisheries as well as related project financing.

Lee and Levitin also agreed to exert joint efforts in allocating an appropriate fishing quota for South Korean ships that want to operate in Russia's exclusive economic zone and to better regulate illegal trade involving Russian fishery goods.

Meanwhile, Seoul announced Wednesday that it will send around 50-thousand U.S. dollars to Moscow as part of international relief efforts to help victims of the Beslan school siege that ended on Friday leaving at least 335 dead.