President Lee Jae Myung (left), on a state visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Nov. 18 attends expanded talks with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the latter's presidential palace Qasr Al-Watan in Abu Dhabi. (Yonhap News)
By Xu Aiying
President Lee Jae Myung, on a state visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), on Nov. 18 attended a bilateral summit with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and adopted a joint statement on "A New Leap toward a Shared Journey for the Next Century" between both sides.
The two leaders agreed to build a future-oriented partnership for shared prosperity in strategic areas for both sides including artificial intelligence (AI), economy and investment, and nuclear energy.
First, they pledged expanded cooperation spanning AI and energy infrastructure to support the AI transformation, core supply chains such as those for semiconductors, physical AI like robotics, application of AI in business and public services, and setting of AI norms and systems.
Seoul also agreed to take part in the ongoing UAE Stargate project to jointly build AI and energy infrastructure. To this end, Korea will build a massive AI data center and ensure its stable operation by forming a power grid using nuclear power, gas and renewable energy.
With an initial investment alone of KRW 30 trillion, Stargate aims to build an AI data center cluster in Abu Dhabi with a maximum capacity of five gigawatts. The first 200-megawatt AI cluster is slated to go online next year.
In economy and investment, President Lee underscored the significance of the bilateral comprehensive economic partnership agreement, Korea's first free trade accord with a Middle Eastern nation. He added that UAE President Mohamed's investment pledge to Korea in 2023 contributed to the shared prosperity of both economies.
In nuclear power, the two leaders agreed to develop a cooperative model to jointly enter the global market based on the model of the Barakah nuclear power plant in the UAE, a venture that symbolizes bilateral exchange and collaboration.
"Both countries are ready to cooperate in all areas for a century of partnership," President Lee said. "The hope is for us to move beyond profit seeking through transactions and contracts to build a firm and future-oriented cooperative framework to ensure unhindered growth and shared prosperity for all."
xuaiy@korea.kr
