1. During her visit to New York for the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang Kyung-wha of the Republic of Korea (ROK) held the ROK-UAE Foreign Ministers’ Meeting with Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Thursday, September 26, from 16:35 to 17:00 (local time). In the meeting, the two Ministers discussed issues including strengthening the ROK-UAE special strategic partnership; celebration of the 40th anniversary in 2020 of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries; and the situation in the Middle East.

2. Minister Kang congratulated the UAE for witnessing its first astronaut on September 25, 2019, and reiterated deep appreciation to the UAE for playing a crucial role in the safe release of the ROK national who had been abducted in the State of Libya this May.

 
○ In particular, Minister Kang stressed that as bilateral cooperation is visibly and specifically underway, the “Special Strategic Partnership” is developing to the extent that both ROK and UAE nationals can actually feel it.

3. During the meeting, the two Ministers commended that the mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries continues to advance commensurate with the special strategic partnership in a range of fields including science and technology as well as nuclear power. In addition, the two Ministers agreed to work closely together for expanding bilateral cooperation by successfully holding high-level communication channels, scheduled to be held in 2019, such as the 2nd Foreign and Defense Vice-Ministerial Level (2+2) Meeting between the ROK and the UAE and the 1st Special Strategic Dialogue between the ROK and the UAE Ministers.

○ Furthermore, the two Ministers agreed to further promote high-level exchanges in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the ROK and the UAE, and to further step up bilateral exchanges and cooperation by holding various commemorative events.
 

4. Minister Abdullah expressed concern over the escalation of tensions in the neighboring regions such as the recent attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities as well as the attacks on oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, and underscored the need for the international community’s cooperation to reduce the impact of the heightened tensions in the Middle East on the global economy such as regional stability and energy security.

○ Minister Kang labeled the recent attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities as a threat to the global energy supply as well as the global economy; reaffirmed the ROK government’s strong condemnation of such assault; and mentioned that the ROK government will work more closely together with the international community, including the UAE, in order to achieve energy security and to restore peace and stability in the region.