High-Level Korea-UAE Nuclear Talks... Selection of 11 Areas for Joint Entry into Third-Country Nuclear Power Projects

Agreed to Closely Cooperate for the 'Shared Goal' of Deepening and Advancing Bilateral Nuclear Cooperation
Separate Consultations by Working Groups... Research and Development Working Group Prioritizes Selection of Four Cooperation Agendas

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the 19th, Lee Tae-ho, the 2nd Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, chaired the 3rd Korea-UAE High-Level Nuclear Cooperation Consultations with Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy and Infrastructure and the UAE's chief representative, and discussed ways to deepen nuclear cooperation between the two countries.

The Korea-UAE High-Level Nuclear Consultations were launched in 2018 to discuss all matters related to nuclear cooperation between the two countries, and under it are the working groups on △Nuclear Power Plant Construction and Overseas Nuclear Power Projects △Nuclear Research and Development (R&D) △Nuclear Security and Nuclear Safety Regulation.

Considering the COVID-19 situation, this consultation was held via video conference. The Korean side was attended by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, the nuclear industry, and related organizations, while the UAE side was attended by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), and the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR).

Both sides agreed that active nuclear cooperation through the High-Level Nuclear Consultations is a core pillar leading the ‘Special Strategic Partnership’ between the two countries, and pledged to continue working closely as ‘one team’ for the successful completion of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant and to deepen and develop nuclear cooperation between the two countries as a ‘shared goal’.

Prior to this video conference, the two sides reviewed the progress and future plans of cooperation through separate consultations by the three working groups on △Nuclear Power Plant Construction and Overseas Nuclear Power Projects △Nuclear Research and Development (R&D) △Nuclear Security and Nuclear Safety Regulation, and reported the results at the high-level consultations held that day.

The ‘Nuclear Power Plant Construction and Overseas Nuclear Power Projects’ working group selected 11 areas of cooperation between the two countries for joint entry into third-country nuclear power markets through feasibility studies and agreed to continue discussing specific cooperation models.

The ‘Nuclear Research and Development (R&D)’ working group prioritized four cooperation agendas based on the ‘Memorandum of Understanding on Nuclear Research and Development Cooperation’ signed during the 2nd Korea-UAE High-Level Nuclear Consultations held in Abu Dhabi last November, after consultations between relevant agencies of both countries, and agreed to continue discussions to achieve concrete results. In addition, they agreed to continue practical cooperation through a soon-to-be-signed MOU on R&D cooperation between companies of the two countries.

The ‘Nuclear Security and Nuclear Safety Regulation’ working group, at a time when commercial operation of Unit 1 of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant is about to begin, confirmed the need to strengthen nuclear safety regulatory cooperation based on the same reactor type (APR-1400) between the two countries, and agreed to expand cooperation in sharing regulatory experience and in nuclear security education and training in the future.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs evaluated, "The 3rd meeting of the High-Level Nuclear Consultations served as an opportunity to discuss concrete cooperation measures for deepening and developing nuclear cooperation between the two countries, which is expanding beyond cooperation on the construction of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant to joint entry into third-country nuclear power markets, nuclear research and development, and safety regulation cooperation."

Meanwhile, both sides agreed to hold the 4th meeting in Korea next year and to faithfully implement the matters discussed today, centered on each working group.

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