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| President Yoon Suk Yeol and first lady Kim Keon Hee, on a state visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), listen to an official speak during their visit to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, Sunday (local time). Yoon is the first Korean leader to make a state visit to the Middle Eastern country. Yonhap |
President calls UAE 'optimum partner' for cooperation
By Nam Hyun-woo
ABU DHABI ― President Yoon Suk Yeol arrived in Abu Dhabi Saturday (local time), on the first leg of his eight-day tour to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Switzerland, to promote Korea's arms and power plant exports.
Yoon became the first Korean leader to make a state visit to the Middle Eastern country."
Recently, the scope of cooperation between Korea and the UAE has expanded from energy, construction and infrastructure to healthcare, medicine, defense and culture," Yoon said during a meeting with Korean nationals in the UAE, Saturday.
"The UAE, which is preparing for its post-oil era, and Korea, which has innovative ideas and technologies, are optimum partners. On the occasion of this state visit, I will pave the way for a breakthrough leap forward for the common prosperity of the two countries in the future."
Yoon is scheduled to have a summit with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan later Sunday and will be staying in the Middle Eastern country until Tuesday. He will then fly to Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos from Wednesday to Thursday.
According to senior presidential secretary for public relations Kim Eun-hye, more than 100 Korean business leaders and eight ministers, including Deputy Prime Minister Choo Kyung-ho and Industry Minister Lee Chang-yang, will join Yoon to assist the president's efforts to improve Korean firms' presence in mega projects pursued by Middle Eastern countries.
"The president and seven ministers boarded the presidential jet to create opportunities in this country," Kim said.
"Once the environment minister joins Yoon, eight ministries will be working together to seek opportunities for Korean companies' exports, as if all of them are industry ministers. The president and the ministers are on this trip with a spirit of finding a breakthrough for (Korea's) economic rebound in mega projects pursued by Middle Eastern countries," she added.
During his New Year message, Yoon pledged to make efforts to overcome the full range of economic difficulties through exports and an economy-centric diplomacy.
Senior presidential secretary for economic affairs Choi Sang-mok said in a press briefing before departing on the trip, "The UAE is the optimum partner for our economy-centric diplomacy in the fields of nuclear reactors, defense and infrastructure."
Director of National Security Kim Sung-han also said, "We will strengthen strategic cooperation with the UAE in the fields of nuclear power, energy, investment and defense, and the bilateral partnership will deepen by signing multiple MOUs."
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| President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee disembark from the presidential jet upon their arrival in Abu Dhabi, UAE, Saturday (local time). Yonhap |
As part of his efforts to elevate the Korea-UAE partnership in nuclear energy, Yoon will visit the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, which houses the first reactor that Korea exported and is the first nuclear power plant in the Middle East.
Of the four reactors that make up the Barakah plant, two are now in commercial operation, and the third reactor's construction will be completed within this year.
Yoon's visit to the plant will likely be a symbolic measure promoting the two countries' partnership in nuclear power. However, it also appears to be aimed at touting Korea's prowess in nuclear power technologies to buoy bids in other international nuclear power projects, particularly the one pursued by Poland.
Along with nuclear power, the two countries are anticipated to widen their partnerships across other industries during Yoon's visit.
Reportedly, the two countries are anticipated to sign around 30 MOUs during Yoon's stay, with high expectations of exporting Korean weapons to the UAE.
Last year, Korea signed a 4 trillion won ($3.22 billion) deal to export the domestically developed Cheongung-II medium-range surface-to-air missile system to the UAE. It marked the single most lucrative weapons export contract in the history of Korea's defense industry.
The Middle Eastern country's defense demands continue to increase amid the fast-changing regional order and observers expect further defense talks could be possible during Yoon's summit with the UAE president.
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