1. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, who is attending the 70th session of the UN General Assembly, met bilaterally with his UAE counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on September 29. In their meeting, the two top diplomats discussed the progress in the implementation of the follow-up measures to President Park Geun-hye’s Middle East tour in March; ways to step up economic and cultural cooperation between their two countries; the plan for the second ROK-UAE strategic dialogue; and the situations on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East.

2. The two Ministers noted with appreciation that the ROK President’s visit to the UAE in March had served as a significant opportunity to move the bilateral ties greatly forward in various sectors and that the two countries have been seeing their bilateral ties further deepen and vitalized since her Middle East tour.

◦ With regard to a Korean hospital’s participation in the bidding for the contract to manage a UAE hospital, Minister Yun asked for his UAE counterpart’s support. He mentioned that preparations are moving forward smoothly to establish a Korean cultural center in the UAE in 2015 as planned during the ROK President’s visit to the country in March. Minister Abdullah noted with appreciation the steady progress in the construction of the Barakah nuclear power plant, which is being undertaken by the ROK.

3. The two Ministers agreed to hold the second ROK-UAE strategic dialogue as soon as possible, for which the Vice Foreign Ministers or Deputy Foreign Ministers of the two countries will meet in Abu Dhabi and discuss diverse issues, including the situations in the Middle East and Northeast Asia.

4. The two Ministers exchanged views on the current situations on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East. Minister Yun offered condolence over the killing of UAE soldiers in Yemen on September 4, in response to which Minister Abdullah extended gratitude.

5. The ROK-UAE meeting is seen to have served as an opportunity to further vitalize omni-directional and mutually beneficial cooperation with the UAE, the ROK’s only strategic partner in the Middle East.


* unofficial translation