On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the foundation of formal diplomatic ties between the UAE and South Korea, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, wrote an opinion piece for the South Korean Yonhap News Agency.

In the article titled "A Model Partnership Made Even Stronger by COVID-19", Sheikh Abdullah lauded the extraordinary relations that both the UAE and South Korea have been sharing for decades. He said that the two countries have worked in close collaboration and proved the importance of their friendship at a time when the world in dealing with the unprecedented impact of the Coronavirus health crisis. Sharing common interests, goals and values, both UAE and South Korea have shown the way to work to other countries as well.

Stating that South Korea was one of the first countries to combat the pandemic outbreak, Sheikh Abdullah hailed the cooperation provided by the South Korean government in openly sharing its valuable knowledge and expertise related to the disease to the UAE and other countries in the international community. He asserted that the UAE is proud to have used the South Korean experience in its domestic response against the pandemic crisis.

"South Korean expertise formed a significant part of the ‘best practices’ framework that is now widely recognised as critical to stopping the spread of the virus. South Korea acted early and responsibly to stem the spread of COVID-19 and in the process became an international model for other countries to follow," the Minister said in the opinion piece.

He went on to note that the UAE has helped in the evacuation of several South Korean citizens and their families from Tehran during the early onset of the virus outbreak in the region. In addition, he exclaimed that UAE's passenger and trade links to Seoul were effectively operational before the borders were temporarily closed to contain the spread of the virus. He further expressed gratitude towards South Korea for prioritizing the export of essential COVID-19 testing and medical supplies to the UAE.

"Having managed the situation within our own borders, both the UAE and South Korea worked to deliver to other countries the assistance they needed in line with our shared commitment to humanitarian principles," Sheikh Abdullah added.

The Minister expressed the UAE's desire to limit reckless expansionism and extremism by promoting collective and collaborative actions in both countries within the framework of international law. He noted that it is crucial for the UAE and South Korea to work in cooperation and solidarity taking note of the challenges that the two countries have dealt with separately and together.

"Located in strategic and volatile regions, our two countries support the prosperity and stability of the countries around us," he said in his remarks.

Later, Sheikh Abdullah detailed about various barriers that the two countries have broken over the years of their friendship, which include ease in travel, increased reciprocal investment, and commitment towards promotion of cultures of both the countries. Noting that there were 14 weekly direct flights between South Korea and the UAE before the COVID-19 outbreak, he expressed the hope to expand the number in the future as soon as the pandemic situation improves and travel restrictions ease.

He further expressed proud over the launch of the UAE-Korea Cultural Dialogue 2020 in January marking the 40 years of diplomatic ties and celebrating the cultures of both countries. The Foreign Affairs Minister went on to say that the relationship between the UAE and South Korea has grown exponentially since 1980. Over the years, both countries have helped each other with expertise in manufacturing and technology, logistics, trade, and tourism across the two regions.

"The relationship reached a significant milestone when the UAE signed contracts with the Korean Electric Power Company, Hyundai, and Samsung C&T to help build the Arab world’s first nuclear power plant. When it is fully operational, the Barakah nuclear power plant will meet 25 percent of the UAE’s domestic energy needs, which in the process will cut greenhouse gas emissions by 21 million tons annually. It should also be noted that our two countries maintain a firm partnership in the conventional energy sector, with major agreements signed in the oil and gas fields," Sheikh Abdullah said in the piece.

He further detailed about the Special Strategic Partnership between the UAE and South Korea since 2018 through which both countries decided to promote and formalize the bond and relationship between each other. The Special Strategic Partnership maps how both countries could benefit from the opportunities of building new markets and economic channels outside South Korea and the UAE. He went on to speak about various areas and activities in which UAE-South Korea commercial partnership has grown including commodities trade, financial services, logistics, technology development, energy research and development, health, agriculture, and food security, amid other sectors.

"Our non-oil bilateral trade stands at nearly US$5 billion dollars, and there are currently more than 50 Korean companies based in the UAE, which is home to over 10,000 South Korean nationals. While these numbers are strong, both sides view this as the beginning of a much deeper and broader relationship through which we will provide joint solutions to a larger array of markets," he added.

The Foreign Affairs Minister also welcomed South Korea's commitment to participating in Expo 2020 Dubai wherein Seoul enjoys a position of great pride. The historic Expo 2020 Dubai, falls on the UAE's 50th anniversary as a nation, has been postponed to 2021 in the wake of the ongoing pandemic crisis.

In conclusion, Sheikh Abdullah expressed his sincere appreciation to the Foreign Minister of the Republic of South Korea and his counterpart, Kang Kyung-Wha, for providing him the honour of being the first foreign official to visit the country since the Coronavirus outbreak.

"My visit is a testament to the mutual value and respect the leadership of the UAE and South Korea hold for one another and our optimistic vision of a post-COVID-19 world– a future we will help shape together," Sheikh Abdullah concluded in his Op-ed.

WAM