1. First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yong will visit Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from January 31 through February 3.

2. In each of the three Middle Eastern countries, Vice Minister Cho will meet with his counterpart to exchange views on various bilateral and global issues as well as the situations on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East. He will also meet with local Korean nationals and enterprises to learn about their challenges and discuss with them ways to help them in that regard. In addition, he will visit a construction site of a Korean company (in Kuwait); deliver a special lecture to high-level officials of the local Foreign Ministry (in Qatar); and attend the opening ceremony of the new ROK Embassy building (in the UAE).

◦ During his visit to Kuwait on January 31 and February 1, Vice Minister Cho will meet with his Kuwaiti counterpart H.E. Khalid Sulaiman Al-Jarallah. He will also visit Sheikh Jaber Bridge, which is under construction by a Korean company, and offer words of encouragement to Korean workers there.

◦ In Qatar on February 1 and 2, the Vice Minister will hold a meeting with his Qatari counterpart H.E. Mohammed Bin Abdullah Bin Mutib Al-Rumaihi. He will also deliver to high-level officials of the Qatari Foreign Ministry a special lecture on “the Republic of Korea’s foreign policy toward the Middle East and the situation in Northeast Asia.” Through the lecture, he will explain the situations on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia and seek to win from Qatar understanding on and support for the ROK’s foreign policy.

◦ In the UAE on February 2 and 3, the last leg of his Middle East tour, Vice Minister Cho will meet with his UAE counterpart H.E. Mohamed Meer Abdulla Yousif Alraeesi and attend the opening ceremony of the new ROK Embassy building.

3. The forthcoming Middle East tour by Vice Minister Cho is expected to help the ROK further solidify its economic ties with its three major suppliers of energy and construction partners in the Gulf region; promote comprehensive cooperation and mutual understanding with them; and broaden its diplomatic horizon. 


                 Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

* unofficial translation