1. Minister of Foreign Affairs Kang, Kyung-wha, who visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after attending the 16th Manama Dialogue, had a meeting and a business dinner with Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the evening of December 5, and discussed ways to expand and deepen the cooperative relations between Korea and the UAE that have become closer through joint response to COVID-19.

2. The two Foreign Ministers shared the view that the two countries have continued to expand their relations to a level commensurate with their Special Strategic Partnership through continued exchanges and communication, including the two Foreign Ministers’ meetings in the year 2020 despite the COVID-19 situation.

° Foreign Minister Kang noted that the two countries have continued close people-to-people and economic exchanges in creative ways amid the COVID-19 situation, including the Fast Track Procedure agreed upon during Foreign Minister Abdullah’s visit to Korea in July, the provision of Korean-made sample collection kits and diagnostic kits, and the UAE’s support for the repatriation of Korean nationals.

° Foreign Minister Abdullah mentioned that he feels blessed for the UAE to have close ties with Korea in the COVID-19 situation, voicing hope that the Special Strategic Partnership between the two countries would advance further.

° The two Foreign Ministers also reviewed the progress of cooperation in various fields between Korea and the UAE, including education, healthcare, information and communications technology (ICT), science and technology, and discussed ways to further enhance cooperation. Furthermore, they exchanged views on ways to develop bilateral cooperation on the international stage.

3. The two Foreign Ministers discussed ways to expand the Korea-UAE health cooperation, which has been boosted through Korea’s exportation of quarantine related equipment during the initial stages of the spread of COVID-19, beyond the bilateral level to a relationship that leads international cooperation; and shared the view on the need for securing vaccines for themselves as well as vaccine cooperation through the COVAX Facility (CF) as part of development cooperation in support of the developing countries.

4. The two Foreign Ministers also agreed to increase cooperation in the field of World Expos. Foreign Minister Kang mentioned that the Korean government will not spare efforts and support for the success of Expo 2020 Dubai, which has been postponed for a year due to COVID-19. She also asked for the UAE’s active cooperation in Korea’s bidding for World Expo 2030 Busan.

5. Foreign Minister Kang commended the UAE leaders’ recent decision to normalize the UAE-Israel relations, saying that it will contribute to the stability in the Middle East. The two Foreign Ministers exchanged in-depth views on overall international affairs, including the situations in the Middle East and on the Korean Peninsula, as well as the United States-China relations.

6. On December 6, Foreign Minister Kang will visit the site of Expo 2020 Dubai and have a meeting with Minister of State for International Cooperation at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Director-General of Expo 2020 Dubai H.E. Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy and discuss ways to further elaborate cooperation between Korea and the UAE on World Expos. She will then visit the construction site of the Korea Pavilion and review the progress in Korea’s participation in Expo 2020 Dubai.