By Lee Jon Young

 

President Yoon Suk-yeol, who is on a state visit to Qatar at the invitation of the Emir of Qatar, held a meeting with Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, Qatar on October 25. 

 

Prior to the meeting, an official welcome ceremony was held in the main hall of Amiri Diwan Palace to celebrate President Yoon's state visit. The Qatari side escorted the President's vehicle as it entered the Amiri Diwan Palace entrance, accompanied by mounted and camel troops. 

 

 

The President was received by His Highness Emir Tamim in the concourse of Amiri Diwan Palace, where he was escorted by the presidential guard of honor before entering the summit hall and greeting the Qatari entourage.

 

Following the official welcome ceremony, the President and Emir Tamim held a meeting to discuss a variety of ways to take the bilateral relationship, which has steadily grown since diplomatic relations were established in 1974, particularly in the areas of LNG and construction, to the next level.

 

The President expressed his gratitude to the Qatari side for their warm hospitality and said that it was meaningful for him to be the first South Korean president to make a state visit to Qatar as the two countries look ahead to the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations next year. 

 

The President said he hoped the visit would allow the two countries to reflect on the achievements of the past 50 years of bilateral relations and prepare for the next 50 years of shared prosperity, adding that South Korea would be a reliable partner for Qatar as it pursues national development through its National Vision 2030.

 

Qatari Emir Tamim expressed his heartfelt welcome to the President's state visit and said that Qatar believes it is imperative and necessary to develop its relations with the Republic of Korea, an important partner, and looks forward to communicating and working closely with President Yoon to this end.

 

The two leaders welcomed the upgrading of the bilateral relationship to a "comprehensive strategic partnership" on the occasion of the President's state visit, and agreed to strengthen bilateral strategic cooperation in line with the upgraded relationship, especially in areas such as defense and AI.

 

To this end, the two leaders agreed to expand communication channels in the diplomatic and security fields, and to build on the Memorandum of Understanding on Defense and Military Cooperation signed on Oct. 25 and the meeting of the two defense ministers in June.

 

The two leaders also agreed that AI has the greatest potential to expand the horizons of bilateral cooperation, and decided to prioritize cooperation in the field of AI, including attracting talent, sharing data, creating value, and establishing norms.

 

The two leaders agreed to continue to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the energy sector, including LNG supply. In particular, the two sides agreed to expand bilateral cooperation in the LNG sector, including the contract for the construction of 17 LNG carriers ($3.9 billion) signed between HD HHI and the state-owned Qatar Energy, to the entire industry, including carrier construction, operation, and maintenance.

 

In addition, the two leaders agreed to expand practical cooperation to various areas of mutual interest and strength, including infrastructure, investment, agriculture, shipping, culture, people-to-people exchanges, and health, and to implement specific cooperation programs in these areas to bring tangible benefits to the people of the two countries. They also agreed to strengthen cooperation between the two countries' cultures, which have something in common in terms of harmonizing tradition and modernity.

 

In particular, Tamim expressed his strong desire to cooperate with Korea, saying that Qatar needs Korea's world-class technology and operating systems to operate ports and airports, develop agriculture (food security), build comprehensive data service centers, and provide medical services. 

 

In particular, Qatar, which has a small population and relies heavily on foreign labor, would like to automate its infrastructure operations and work closely with Korea in this process. The President said he would respond positively, and that Korea, an IT powerhouse, would cooperate with Qatar in all areas.

 

The President also congratulated Qatar on its successful hosting of the Doha International Horticultural Expo after hosting the World Cup last year, and said that Korea is also actively participating in the event by setting up a Korean pavilion.

 

Immediately after the summit, an MOU signing ceremony was held in the presence of the two leaders, and a total of five documents were signed.

 

After the summit, the President attended a luncheon hosted by Qatari Emir Tamim. In addition to Korean government officials, the luncheon was attended by members of the business community, including Korean companies in Qatar, and served as an opportunity to reaffirm the close economic cooperation between the two countries.

 

On the occasion of the luncheon, the President extended an invitation to Qatari Emir Tamim to make a state visit to South Korea, which he accepted for next year. The two sides agreed to discuss details through diplomatic channels.

 

On Oct. 24, the two leaders held a fellowship dinner and had a heart-to-heart conversation to deepen their personal acquaintance and ties.