SEOUL (ALETIHAD)
The “Strategic Dialogue between the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Korea: Prospects of the Strategic Partnership between the two countries” opened in Seoul, South Korea on Tuesday. The two-day conference was organised by the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Seoul, in partnership with the TRENDS Research and Advisory Centre, as the conference’s knowledge partner, and the Aletihad News Centre as the conference’s media partner.
Special Strategic Partnership
The conference was inaugurated with a keynote address by His Excellency Abdulla Saif Al Nuaimi, the UAE Ambassador to the Republic of South Korea. Bilateral relations between the UAE and the Republic of South Korea have come a long way, evolving into a strategic partnership in 2009 to encompass increasing cooperation, His Excellency said.
“In 2018, we elevated our relations to the special strategic partnership level, encompassing broader and more diverse areas of cooperation than traditional exchanges,” he said.
“During the UAE’s latest official visit in January of this year, His Excellency President Yoon Suk Yeol and President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed elevating our special strategic partnership to the highest possible level,” Al Nuaimi added, explaining that this reflects the continuous ability to further enhance and expand cooperation, not only within the two countries, but also among other nations.
His Excellency emphasised that the conference explores not only economic and political exchange, but also delves into the strategic partnership in the field of climate action, in line with the UAE’s vision to enhance international climate action, along with its priorities at the COP28 conference, which will lead the world to conduct a global assessment on the Paris Agreement for the first time. The UAE will host this important climate conference in November in Expo City, Dubai.
Dr. Mohammed Abdullah Al Ali, the CEO of TRENDS Research and Advisory Centre, said in his address that the UAE and South Korea’s interest in deepening bilateral ties is not a new direction for either government, and it is not a move dictated by circumstances and developments in a rapidly changing world. Instead, the eagerness to deepen this partnership has deep roots in the history of bilateral relations, from their inception to the present, he said.
“The strategic dialogue between the UAE and the Republic of South Korea is an important opportunity to work together for a brighter future,” he said, adding that this strategic partnership aims for cooperation in building a more sustainable and prosperous future.
His Excellency Yun Byung-se, former Foreign Minister of the Republic of South Korea and a board member of the Korea Peace Foundation, confirmed in his address that globalisation is in decline, and the international system is disintegrating amidst these circumstances.
This places the world at a historical turning point, and the strategic partnership between South Korea and the UAE simultaneously faces multiple geopolitical, geographical, economic, and technological challenges from all over the world, he said.
He noted that since the establishment of the Korean-Emirati strategic partnership in 2009, relations between the two countries have grown rapidly, adding that both countries possess the ability to adapt, innovate, and be flexible.
Future Prospects Following the opening addresses, the first discussion session over the current and future prospects of the partnership commenced, moderated by Sky News Arabia’s Faisal Bin Huraiz. The session addressed the current and future economic cooperation, coordination on political and strategic matters, the foundation of future technological and clean energy partnerships, and prospects for future collaboration.
During the session, Stephen Scalet, an economic expert at TRENDS, noted that cooperation with South Korea on peaceful nuclear energy has led the way to the UAE becoming the first Arab country to possess a peaceful nuclear reactor. This has also positioned South Korea as a leader in nuclear energy market globally, he added.
His Excellency Park Kang-ho, former Korean Ambassador to the UAE, touched upon “the coordination between the UAE and South Korea in political and strategic areas”.
He pointed out that the signing of the Barakah nuclear power plant construction contract marked a significant turning point in bilateral relations.
Regarding the technology and clean energy efforts that cement the future of the partnership, Dr. Saeed Al Dhaheri, Director of the Future Studies Centre at the University of Dubai and President of the Robots and Automation Association, emphasised that renewable energy, nuclear energy, clean technology, artificial intelligence, smart agriculture, infrastructure, space, and digital transformation are among the most important areas for cooperation.
Al Dhaheri noted that the UAE and South Korea should launch joint initiatives in hydrogen, such as production centres and experimental transportation projects, under the comprehensive strategic energy partnership, adding that there are further opportunities for collaboration and joint research in carbon capture, sixth-generation networks, and quantum computing.Kwang Ho Ryou, a researcher at the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, explained that the prospects for the future partnership between the UAE and the Republic of Korea require a focus on completing negotiations regarding the free trade agreement between South Korea and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and the comprehensive economic partnership agreement between South Korea and the UAE, to enhance cooperation between companies on both sides.
Partnership from a Youth Perspective
The second discussion session addressed the partnership from a youth perspective, moderated by a South Korean broadcaster. The session delved into the UAE youth’s perspective on the importance and future of the partnership, as well as the Korean youth’s viewpoint on the importance and future of bilateral ties. The session also tackled future challenges and opportunities for academic and student exchanges.Ruqayya Al Nomani, a doctoral student in Technology Management, Economics, and Policies at the College of Engineering at Seoul National University, and a researcher at the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), said that the future of the partnership, from the perspective of Emirati youth, requires the establishment of an official joint platform between the UAE and South Korea to announce and promote events in both countries. She also said that there should also be an Emirati cultural centre in South Korea to promote Arabic art and Arabic calligraphy through a variety of educational and training programmes and media publications.