1. The head delegates of the Republic of Korea and the United Arab Emirates to the ROK-UAE High-level Consultation on Nuclear Cooperation -- Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Lee Taeho and Minister of Energy and Infrastructure AlMazrouei respectively -- chaired the 3^rd ROK-UAE High-level Consultation on Nuclear Cooperation on November 19 and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation on nuclear energy.

° Given the COVID-19 situation, the Consultation was held in a virtual format, bringing together officials of relevant government agencies, nuclear energy companies and other related organizations of the ROK, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Science and ICT, and the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission; and delegates from the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC), and the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR) of the UAE.

2. The two sides shared the understanding that active nuclear cooperation through the High-level Consultation on Nuclear Cooperation platform is a major pillar leading the “special strategic partnership” between the two countries, and agreed to work closely together as “one team” to achieve the “one goal” -- the successful completion of the Barakah nuclear power plant and deepening and advancing bilateral nuclear cooperation.

3. Ahead of the virtual meeting, the two sides reviewed the progress in cooperation and future plans in the separate meetings of the three Working Groups, -- the Working Group on the construction of nuclear power plants and overseas nuclear projects, the Working Group on nuclear science and technology R&D, and the Working Group on nuclear security, safety and regulation -- and reported on the outcome of the meetings at the High-level Consultation today.

° The Working Group on the construction of nuclear power plants and overseas nuclear projects selected 11 bilateral cooperation projects for joint entry into nuclear power plant markets of third countries after conducting a feasibility study and agreed to continue discussions on concrete cooperation models.

° The Working Group on nuclear R&D chose four cooperation agenda after consultations between relevant agencies of the two countries pursuant to the “Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in the Field of Nuclear Research and Development” concluded during the 2^nd ROK-UAE High-level Consultation on Nuclear Cooperation held in Abu Dhabi, the UAE, in November 2019, and agreed to continue consultations in order to produce tangible results. The Working Group also agreed to continue substantive cooperation pursuant to an MOU on R&D cooperation between the two countries’ enterprises, expected to be concluded in the near future.

° The Working Group on nuclear security, safety and regulation confirmed the need to enhance cooperation on nuclear safety regulations on the basis of APR-1400 at a time when Unit 1 of the Barakah nuclear power plant is about to start commercial operations, and agreed to expand cooperation in sharing experiences in regulation as well as cooperation in education and training in the area of nuclear security, among others.

4. The 3^rd High-level Consultation on Nuclear Cooperation is seen to have served as an opportunity to discuss specific ways for cooperation in deepening and advancing bilateral nuclear cooperation, which is expanding beyond the construction of the Barakah nuclear power plant to such areas as joint entry into nuclear power plant markets of third countries, nuclear R&D, and cooperation on safety regulations.

° In the meeting, the two countries also noted that bilateral nuclear cooperation is moving smoothly forward despite the COVID-19 situation.

5. The two sides agreed to hold the 4^th meeting in the ROK in 2021 and to faithfully implement the measures discussed today, led by the Working Groups.