President Park Geun-hye, on her four-state visits to the Middle East, held a summit with Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammad bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, the third stop on her tour.

The two leaders held in-depth discussions concerning a wide range of issues, including the two countries' existing areas of cooperation -- nuclear power plants, energy, construction and infrastructure -- as well as new areas of cooperation such as health & medicine, food and agriculture.

“There are only three countries that I’ve visited twice since my inauguration. One of them is the United Arab Emirates,” said President Park. “It reflects the strong strategic partnership between Korea and the UAE.”

The president acknowledged that the two countries not only retain a sound partnership in energy and construction, but that they will keep working together in higher value-added industries, too.

In response, the Abu Dhabi crown prince said, “I am greatly proud of the strong ties we have with Seoul. The relationship between the two countries is very crucial and has high potential for further development. Our government will go all out to enhance the strategic cooperative relationship.”



Recalling the crown prince’s remarks about, “the seemingly impossible project of constructing a nuclear power plant in the desert," the president said that the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, a reactor that Korea agreed to construct under a new deal with the UAE, serves as a good starting point for the two countries to enter the next 100 years. She also vowed to do her best to make the plant one of the world’s safest nuclear plants and the most efficient.

“Seoul and Abu Dhabi have built a lasting trust in each other through this construction project. I call for the UAE government to constantly offer support to Korean companies as they participate in other major projects, such as the construction of railroads, a metro system and the site for Expo 2020 Dubai,” the president added.

“Korean enterprises working here have done a great job with their outstandingly advanced technologies. You don’t need to ask for our support because we will definitely choose Korean firms, even if you don’t,” the crown price said.

He went on to say that, “We absolutely trust Korea in the health care sector, too. Seoul’s health and medical services have reached a point where other countries from around the world can’t easily keep up. I remember the happy looks of Arab patients I encountered when I visited St. Mary’s Hospital in Seoul during my visit to Korea last year. It would be great if many more Korean medical teams came to care for our people here.”

In addition, the two leaders agreed on the idea that if Korean technologies are coupled with the UAE’s worldwide network and finances, the joint forces would be able to make inroads into Africa, other Middle Eastern countries and Southeast Asia, creating great synergies.



President Park also expressed her gratitude to the UAE government’s deep concern for North Korean denuclearization, as well as for joining the international community in raising its voice against the North’s provocations.

The two leaders then discussed other items high on their agenda, including cooperation on national defense, cyber security and issues involving both Northeast Asia and the Middle East.

Following the summit, the two governments signed an MOU to build a Korean cultural center in Abu Dhabi, the first of its kind in the gulf region. The two sides struck another MOU on sharing information about halal food and establishing a halal certification system. According to the MOU, a special theme park that focuses on halal products will be constructed in Korea.

The two governments signed a series of MOUs in a total of six new areas, including agriculture, a joint project in the nuclear power plant industry in a third country and an agreement to provide cross-services concerning taxes and freight at each other's borders.



By Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Cheong Wa Dae
jiae5853@korea.kr