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 Qatars industrial base. Consequently, our two countries have grown into trusted partners in fostering each others 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 others 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 Qatars 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 peoples 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."
Source: Qatar News Agency