Discussion on Regional Security and Climate Change Cooperation
"Visible Results to Help Public Awareness and Livelihoods"
President Yoon Suk-yeol and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will hold a summit at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the 29th to discuss regional situations as well as global issues such as cooperation on climate change response.
Kim Tae-hyo, First Deputy Director of the National Security Office, held a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the afternoon of the 23rd and stated, "The state visit of Sheikh Mohammed, President of the UAE, is expected to serve as an opportunity to inject new vitality into the momentum of the new Middle East boom created by active Middle East summit diplomacy last year," he said.
At President Yoon’s invitation, Sheikh Mohammed will make a two-day state visit to Korea from the 28th to the 29th. This visit marks the first state visit to Korea by a UAE president.
Deputy Director Kim said, "At the Korea-UAE summit, the two leaders will discuss ways to elevate cooperation to a higher level in the four core areas set during President Yoon’s state visit to the UAE last January: traditional energy and clean energy, peaceful nuclear energy, economy and investment, and defense and defense technology," adding, "We expect to produce tangible results that the people of both countries can feel and that will benefit their livelihoods."
Deputy Director Kim stated, "When President Yoon and his wife made a state visit to the UAE last January, they were grandly welcomed with cavalry and camel troops lined up during the official welcome ceremony. Similarly, when the UAE president enters our airspace this time, Korea plans to provide an official welcoming ceremony with the highest honors." He continued, "When the plane enters the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ) on the 28th, four fighter jets, a congratulatory flight by the Black Eagles, the traditional honor guard, over 100 members of the Ark Unit, about 500 related personnel, and a children’s welcoming group of around 130 will greet the delegation."
On the first day of Sheikh Mohammed’s visit, the 28th, President Yoon will hold social engagements and a dinner. On the following day, the 29th, the schedule includes an official welcoming ceremony at the Presidential Office, followed by the summit meeting, signing of agreements and memorandums of understanding (MOUs), and a state luncheon.
Deputy Director Kim said, "Since this is the first state visit by a UAE president, we will welcome him with the highest honors," adding, "Besides the official talks over the two days, the two leaders will also participate in various social engagements together."
He also added, "The UAE is the only Middle Eastern country with which Korea has established a special strategic partnership as a key ally. The two countries have built an important partnership in economic and security fields, including the Barakah nuclear power project and the dispatch of the Ark Unit. Since 'Ark' means 'brother' in Arabic, Sheikh Mohammed’s state visit will serve as an opportunity to reaffirm the close brotherly relationship and the vision for future development between Korea and the UAE."
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