Minister for Political Affairs from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, H E Byung-won Chung
Doha, Qatar: Qatar has played a key role as a mediator in resolving disputes based on sound diplomatic ties with countries in this region, especially Qatar is engaging in close consultations with relevant parties to secure the release of hostages and evacuation of foreign nationals in Gaza.
This was said by Minister for Political Affairs from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, H E Byung-won Chung during yesterday’s 19th Korea–Middle East Cooperation Forum held for the first time in the country.
Additionally, he highlighted the significance of Korean President H E Yoon Suk Yeol’s visits to the UAE and Qatar, underscoring Korea’s commitment to cooperation with the Middle East.
He said that President Yeol’s recent visit to Qatar had upgraded Korea-Qatar relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
This strategic partnership has extended cooperation into various domains, including the LNG value chain, healthcare, smart farming, and Artificial Intelligence, building upon their long-standing collaboration and trust.
During President Yeol’s visit to the country, deals worth approximately $4.6bn were signed. Both countries discussed expanding their cooperation beyond energy and construction, to investment, defense, agriculture, culture, and people-to-people exchanges. Moreover, they agreed to enhance security and defense industry collaboration, further elevating their bilateral relations to a “comprehensive strategic partnership.”
Minister Chung has also stressed the importance of sharing opinions and facilitating communication with experts across various fields in an era marked by division and conflict, thus holding the said event. “In this era of division and conflict, it will be more important to share opinions and facilitate communication with experts in various fields.”
Meanwhile, Jeju Peace Institute President, H E Young-hoon Kang, has expressed his optimism about the ongoing partnership’s growth of the two countries wherein by next year, Qatar and Korea will mark its 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties.
“I think this forum is taking place at a pivotal moment for the two countries, [Korea] President Yeol made his first-ever state visit to Qatar a few weeks ago, committing himself to elevating our relations to comprehensive strategic partnership,” he said in his speech.
The Korea-Middle East Cooperation Forum is an annual event alternating between Korea and Middle Eastern countries since 2003, and serves as a platform for leaders from both regions to engage in in-depth discussions on critical topics in various fields, including politics, economics, and academia.
