HE. Abdulla Saif Al Nuaimi, UAE ambassador to South Korea

On Nov. 17 (Tuesday), 2020, the Embassy of the UAE in Seoul hosted, in cooperation with the Embassy of the ROK in Abu Dhabi, a Webinar to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of diplomatic relations between the ROK and the UAE.

The Webinar was held via Zoom and live-streamed on the Korean Embassy’s Social media platforms with the participation of HE. Abdulla Saif Al Nuaimi UAE Ambassador to the ROK, HE. Yongwoo Kwon, Korean Ambassador to the UAE, Dr Ebtesam Al-Ketbi, President of Emirates Policy Center(EPC), HE. Mohamed Al Hammadi, CEO of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation(ENEC), Dr. Ik-ran Eum, Professor of the GCC Institute, Dankook University(Moderator), Dr. Kwon Hyung Lee, Director of MENA, Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, Dr. Saeed Al Ameri, Professor of Nuclear Engineering, Khalifa University as official speakers at the Webinar.

UAE-S. Korea Webinar held to celebrate 40th anniversary of ties.

During the webinar, HE. Al Nuaimi UAE Ambassador stressed that “This year, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates and the friendly Republic of Korea. These relations have witnessed significant progress in recent years and have been distinguished by the unlimited patronage of the wise leadership of our two countries.”

HE the Ambassador also mentioned that “As part of the celebrations of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, made an official visit to Seoul in July 2020 and held a meeting with Her Excellency Kang Kyung-wha, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the ROK to discuss the Special Strategic Partnership. The visit was considered the first of its kind to be made by a foreign minister to the Republic of Korea since the outbreak of COVID-19”.

The Webinar was witnessed a huge number of viewers and followers of the Korean dignitaries. It is noteworthy that the aforementioned webinar was dealing with the nature of bilateral relations between the UAE and the ROK, the development of these relations into a special strategic partnership, celebrating the 40 years of diplomatic relations and the most important strategic and future plans and initiatives in the UAE during the coming years, such as joint cooperation between the UAE and ROK in the theme “2020: Towards the Next 50” that was announced by HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and celebrates the UAE’s achievements over the last 50 years and focuses on planning for the next 50 years (towards 2071).

HE. The Ambassador indicated that with the aim of confirming the depth of bilateral relations between the two friendly countries and the future plans and strategies of the UAE, as well as the continuous achievements that have been achieved in various sectors between the two countries, such as the Barakah peaceful nuclear energy plant, as well as the efforts of the two countries in confronting the emerging COVID-19.

Additionally, he said that “Now, as we chart a path forward beyond 40 years of friendship, we may celebrate how our bilateral cooperation has developed in all fields. We in the UAE are very proud of what we have accomplished so far, and we look forward to continued engagement for years to come. We also look forward to the active participation of the Republic of Korea in Expo 2021 Dubai. In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that we in the UAE consider our bilateral relations with the Republic of Korea to have produced significant benefits for both of our countries, and we thank our partners for their contributions in advancing this cooperation”.