Korea-UAE Diplomatic and Defense Dialogue... Discussion on Developing a Special Strategic Partnership

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The diplomatic and defense dialogue between Korea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was held on the morning of the 12th in Seoul, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.

This dialogue was held with the attendance of deputy foreign and defense officials at the vice minister and director general level, as well as the UAE Ambassador to Korea, due to difficulties in holding the 3rd Korea-UAE diplomatic and defense (2+2) vice ministerial consultation scheduled for this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Participants in this meeting included Ko Kyung-seok, Director General of the Africa and Middle East Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kim Sang-jin, Director of International Policy at the Ministry of National Defense, UAE Ambassador to Korea Abdullah Saif Ali Salim Al-Nuaimi, Ahmed Al-Hai Al-Hameli, Director General of the Asia-Pacific Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Falah Mohamed Al-Katani, Deputy Minister for Policy and Strategy at the Ministry of Defense.

Both sides exchanged views on the development direction of the special strategic partnership between the two countries, which has been solidified through mutual visits by the heads of state in 2018-2019, a telephone consultation between the leaders in March this year, and high-level exchanges.

In particular, the two sides exchanged opinions on ways to further develop bilateral relations in various fields such as defense and security cooperation, practical cooperation in health and agriculture, and cooperation on the international stage, and also discussed international and regional situations including the Korean Peninsula and the Middle East.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated, "This dialogue is evaluated as having provided a close communication channel between the foreign and defense authorities of both countries despite the COVID-19 situation," adding, "Both sides agreed that cooperation in the diplomatic and defense fields should continue to develop, and decided to hold the 3rd Korea-UAE diplomatic and defense (2+2) vice ministerial consultation, which was postponed due to COVID-19, at a mutually convenient time next year."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.