Secretary General Kim Jae-hyo met Alexander Vorontsov, dean of department of Korea and Mongolia in the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, at Grand Hyatt Hotel, Seoul, on February 21 and made a in-depth discussion to sign a Partnership Agreement between NEAR and the Institute of Oriental Studies. The agreement based upon forum mutually held, participation of colloquium, information interaction, and promotion of common project will include the cooperation of the Institute of Oriental Studies for improving relations with North Korea member regions being criticized by recent nuclear test. In addition, the Institute of Oriental Studies is committed to make great exertions for European regions in Russia to join NEAR. NEAR plans to actively promote signing a Partnership Agreement with research institutes in Japan and China, along with pushing ahead with this Partnership Agreement. As a result, Academic Network is expected to be built with NEAR as the center. This means that NEAR’s activity area is expanded to collaboration in research beyond the exchange among member regions. Also, the foundation to get expertise for Events such as General Assembly, Working-level Workshop and International Forum held by NEAR will be prepared. *the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences The Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Science—established in 1818—the Russian National Policy Research Institution and National University, is mainly conducting research on orientalism and regions from the western coast in North Africa to islands in the Pacific. The institute has recently begun conducting research on foreign politics and socioeconomic problems. Nine research centers and eleven colleges have been operated.