1. Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha had a meeting and luncheon with Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani on August 17, and exchanged views on the current state of the ROK-Qatar relations, and key issues; ways to increase substantive cooperation between the two countries, and bilateral cooperation on the global stage; and the situations on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East.

※ Minister Mohammed is on a visit to the ROK from August 15 to 17 (his first visit since inauguration in January 2016).

2. Minister Kang took note that the ROK and Qatar, the biggest LNG supplier to the ROK, had enhanced bilateral cooperation in the energy, construction and infrastructure sectors for a long time, and that the two countries had been expanding their cooperation into the healthcare and medical sector to diversify areas of cooperation.

o Minister Kang especially stressed that over the past 40-odd years, Korean companies had participated in Qatar’s construction and infrastructure projects, contributing to the economic development of the two countries, and hoped to see an increase in Korean companies’ participation in various projects being pursued by the Qatari government.

※ (2017) Importers of Qatar’s LNG: 1st ROK (15.1%), 2nd Japan (13.1%)

              LNG suppliers to the ROK: 1st Qatar (31.2%), 2nd Australia (18.3%)

※ Cooperation in the healthcare and medical sector between the two countries is underway, including a medical forum, the Qatari health service command’s education and training, and a healthcare symposium.

o Minister Kang also wished a successful 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and expressed hope that the two countries would continue to work together, drawing upon the ROK’s experience of successfully hosting the 2002 World Cup. She especially asked for Foreign Minister Mohammed’s support and interest to help Korean companies participate in the CNG bus and charging station project*, and contribute to hosting an environmentally friendly World Cup.

* Qatar will supply about 3,250 CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) buses and 7 charging stations in a phased manner to host an “environmentally friendly World Cup” in 2022.

3. Minister Mohammed said that Korean companies doing business in Qatar had significantly contributed to the economic development of his country, and that he welcomed Korean companies’ continued participation.

o He also talked about Qatar’s efforts in the area of development cooperation, including education for children; job creation projects for youth; and financial support to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). He hoped that the two countries would continue to work to diversify cooperation, including by conducting joint projects in the area of development cooperation.

4. On the latest progress in inter-Korean relations, Minister Kang took note of Qatar’s consistent support for the ROK government’s North Korea policy. Minister Mohammed said that Qatar would continue to actively support the international community’s efforts to completely denuclearize the Korean Peninsula, and to establish a lasting peace regime on the Peninsula.

5. In addition, the two sides exchanged views on ways to work together on the global stage, including the UN, and the situation in the Middle East. Regarding the recent severance of diplomatic relations between Qatar and its neighbors, Minister Kang hoped that it would be resolved as soon as possible through close dialogues and diplomacy between countries concerned.

※ The ROK asked for Qatar’s support at elections for members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions for the 2019-21 term, and the Human Rights Council for the 2020-22 term, and for non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for the 2024-25 term.

6. The ROK-Qatar Foreign Ministers’ meeting, which marked the first of its kind since the two Ministers took office, served as a good opportunity to strengthen cooperation between the two countries, including by looking at issues between them, and reaffirming their long-standing friendly relations. It was also a meaningful meeting, considering the ROK government’s efforts to diversify its diplomacy.

* unofficial translation