Doha, October 24 (QNA) - HE President of the Republic of Korea Yoon Suk Yeol stressed that the Republic of Korea and the State of Qatar should at this stage further build upon what they have achieved over the last five decades to usher in an even brighter future.

In an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), His Excellency said: "It holds much significance to be the first Korean President to make a state visit to Qatar. I hope this visit will serve as an invaluable opportunity to elevate our bilateral relations to a new level." HE the President added that he will have in-depth discussions with HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on how to shape the two countries relations for the next 50 years.

His Excellency noted that the Republic of Korea and the State of Qatar will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations next year. "Over the past half century, our two countries have continued to work together, contributing to each others advancement and prosperity in an exemplary manner, especially in the energy and construction sectors." As Koreas second largest supplier of LNG, Qatar has provided a reliable buttress that has helped Korea maintain its energy security with its stable source of energy amid the restructuring of global supply chains, he added.

He added that over the past 50 years, Korea has participated in approximately 130 construction projects in Qatar. Most notably, Korean companies took part in the building of the National Museum of Qatar, Lusail Plaza Towers and other landmarks which now serve as symbols of the friendship and cooperation between the two countries, he noted.

In this regard, he affirmed that the two countries should at this stage further build upon what they have achieved over the last five decades to usher in an even brighter future.

He pointed out: "For this reason, the Korean government intends to expand the scope of our cooperation, moving beyond the fields of energy and construction to encompass investment, the defense industry, agriculture, culture and people-to-people exchanges. We will also push for cooperation programs which will bring more tangible benefits for the peoples of both countries. To this end, we will nurture an even broader range of channels for strategic communication." HE the President said that Qatar is strengthening its role and contribution to promote regional peace, and Korea is broadening its diplomatic horizons, aiming to emerge as a "global pivotal state", looking forward to the two countries working together even more closely in regional and international arenas to achieve these goals.
While stressing the importance of the visit, His Excellency said he has been profoundly impressed by the way Qatar is establishing itself as an advanced nation through the "Qatar National Vision 2030" under the leadership of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani.

He said: "Through this visit, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of Qatars efforts towards national development as well as an opportunity to explore ways in which Korea can contribute and cooperate in that development process." He expressed his belief that Korea and Qatar need to lay out a long-term goal for the development of their bilateral relations and find strategic ways to collaborate in pursuit of their shared objectives. 

With regard to the economy, he hoped to strengthen the cooperation in various areas including energy, infrastructure, trade, investment, the defense industry, and agriculture, pointing out that a contingent of Korean business leaders will travel with him on this trip, which will be an opportunity for them to meet with their Qatari counterparts to discuss and map out joint business opportunities.

He noted that his visit to Doha, which will be during the International Horticultural Expo 2023, is an opportunity to commend Qatar for its successful hosting of another important international event following last year's FIFA World Cup, adding that he is confident that Qatar will take on even greater roles in both regional and international arenas. HE the President of Korea said that he will discuss ways to strengthen the bilateral collaboration on the international stage during his visit to Qatar.

Regarding economic and trade cooperation between the two countries, HE the President of Korea said that trade between the two countries, which was less than a mere US$4 million in 1974 when diplomatic relations were established, increased to US$17.1 billion last year even during the global economic downturn in the midst of COVID-19. He added: "Qatar has stably supplied Korea with energy sources such as gas and crude oil, and Korea has contributed to the building of a cycle power plant integrated with a desalination system and other parts of Qatar’s industrial base. Consequently, our two countries have grown into trusted partners in fostering each other’s economic growth and industrial development."

He continued by saying: "During my state visit, I will be accompanied by a delegation of leaders from around 60 Korean businesses which specialize in various emerging industries such as digital technology, biohealth, smart farming and cultural content." His Excellency noted that bilateral cooperation has mainly been focused on the fields of energy and construction up until now. In the next 50 years, it is imperative that the two countries expand the scope of their cooperation to include high-tech industries in which both countries’ industrial development strategies overlap, he added. HE President Yoon Suk Yeol said that fostering mutual understanding and friendship between the Korean and Qatari peoples is a crucial foundation for steady progress in the bilateral relations. He added that cultural and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries are deep-rooted and there is tremendous potential for further development.

He said: "Since the late 1970s, Korean Taekwondo coaches have been teaching in Qatar. I believe that these early exchanges have become an invaluable groundwork for the development of relations between our two countries. It is truly encouraging to see that our peoples’ interest in each other’s respective countries has been increasing significantly recently." He further said: "I understand that there is a deepening interest in Korean culture in Qatar, especially among the younger generations, and that some universities are also offering Korean language courses. "Likewise, interest in Qatar has increased significantly in Korea, following Qatar’s hosting of the FIFA World Cup last year," he said, pointing out popular Korean and Qatari singers performed together at the Opening Ceremony, and this provided a great opportunity to foster ties of friendship between the two peoples. "As this heightened interest in each other leads to vibrant interactions between our peoples, closer-knit bilateral relations will follow," he said.

His Excellency stressed that the two countries’ signing of a Visa Waiver Agreement last year would strengthen the institutional foundation for people-to-people exchanges. On this basis, the Korean government will actively explore ways to expand cooperation in the fields of education, culture and tourism with Qatar, he noted.

He also expressed his belief that the Korean people’s increased understanding of Islamic culture and history will help further promote the ties of friendship between the two countries. "We will continue to facilitate this going forward so that more Koreans will be able to experience and understand the Islamic and Qatari culture." (QNA)