The Ministry of Health and Welfare _{보건복지부} said Friday that it has signed an agreement with its Russian counterpart to cooperate on training medical personnel.

The agreement was signed after Kim Gang-lip _김강립, director-general of the ministry’s Health and Medical Policy Bureau, held a meeting with Veronika Skvortsova, Russian minister of health, for healthcare cooperation.

The accord calls for, among others, more systematic management of trainees through the official channel between the health ministries. Korea hopes to expand routes to attract Russian patient through the agreement.

A total of 25,533 Russian patients received medical treatment in Korea last year and paid medical expenses of 87 billion won ($77.3 million).

Domestic companies and hospitals have also signed separate memoranda of understanding with the Russian authorities and businesses, including an MOU between Seoul National University Bundang Hospital _{^{분당서울대병원}} (SNUBH) and Moscow International Medical Cluster.

SNUBH will become the first Korean medical institution Korea to enter Russia. It plans to operate a 300-bed general hospital at the Skolkovo Innovation Center, specializing in cancer, heart, brain, joints and rehabilitation treatments.

The new agreement is likely to enhance the awareness of Korean healthcare sector in Russia and Central Asia.

SNUBH will receive 100 million won ($88,691) from the Korea Health Industry Development Institute’s _{한국보건산업진흥원} (KHIDI) "Medical Institution Overseas Expansion Project.” The hospital plans to conduct a feasibility study on the budget.

Other corporations and hospitals that have signed MOU with Russian counterparts include KT and Pusan National University Hospital _{부산대병원}, SK Chemicals _SK케미컬 and BT Inc.