1. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Choi Jong Kun visited Qatar on January 13 following his visit to Iran. In Qatar, the Vice Minister had meetings with high-level officials in the areas of energy and foreign affairs and discussed ways to enhance bilateral relations and increase economic cooperation.

2. Vice Minister Choi met with Minister of State for Energy Affairs and CEO of Qatar Petroleum H.E. Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi (who oversees Qatar’s policy in energy such as petroleum and gas). The two sides agreed that the two countries will continue stepping up cooperation on energy development and transport as each other’s top trading partners in liquefied natural gas (LNG).

° In particular, Vice Minister Choi took note of the LNG shipbuilding slot reservation agreement concluded between three Korean shipbuilders and Qatar Petroleum in June 2020 based on the strong trust between the two countries, and expressed hope for increasing bilateral cooperation through Korean companies’ participation in Qatar’s North Gas Field expansion project and LNG transport project.

3. Vice Minister Choi also met with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar H.E. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani and State Minister for Foreign Affairs H.E. Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi. The two sides noted that cooperation between the two countries has been advancing to a level of comprehensive partnership and agreed to continue working closely together in fields of substantive cooperation such as construction, energy and public health, as well as on the international stage.

° The two sides shared the view that the two countries had many achievements in bilateral cooperation in the construction and shipbuilding areas despite the COVID19 situation in 2020, and agreed to continue increasing cooperation in these areas as well as new areas including public health.

° They also drew a common understanding that Korea’s Green New Deal policy and Qatar’s National Vision 2030 have much in common and that the two countries should set out on projects that reinforce bilateral economic cooperation, including the vice ministerial policy consultation.

4. During his meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the State Minister for Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Vice Minister Choi welcomed the decision made at the recent Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Summit held in Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia, to restore ties between Qatar and its neighboring countries, including the resumption of free flow of goods and people. Also, Vice Minister Choi went on to request Qatar support Korea to the fullest extent possible for resolving the recent detention of a Korean vessel in Iran.

° The two sides exchanged views on matters of mutual interest, including the situations on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East, and agreed to continue communication and cooperation on regional affairs.

5. Vice Minister Choi hosted a meeting with officials of Korean companies in Qatar, during which he explained the outcome of his visit, listened to difficulties of the Korean companies, and asked them to continue efforts to expand economic cooperation between the two countries.

6. Vice Minister Choi’s visit to Qatar, the first visit by a Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs in six years, is seen to have paved the way for enlarging bilateral economic cooperation, including expansion of orders for Korean companies, in line with the recent positive political changes in the region surrounding Qatar.