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Top officials from Qatar and South Korea will meet in Doha this October for the second round of strategic consultations between the two countries aimed at diversifying bilateral trade away from energy and construction sectors. |
The diplomatic and economic managers would look into the prospects of mutual co-operation between Qatar and South Korea in the fields of healthcare, education, sports, tourism and culture.
South Korea’s Ambassador to Qatar Keejong Chung told Gulf Times that negotiators from both countries would try to build on what was achieved during the first meeting of the high-level strategic consultation group, held in Seoul last year.
“We want co-operation with Qatar in more sectors of the economy, and this is exactly what will be on the agenda when the meeting takes place in October,” the envoy said.
His comments came days after Qatar extended an invitation to South Korean firms to start partnerships with local private companies, particularly the small- and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).
Speaking at the Korea-Qatar Business Forum recently, Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry (QCCI) vice-chairman Mohamed bin Ahmed Towar al-Kuwari said that the body intends to draw a roadmap for tie-ups between businesses from two countries.
“Qatar is one of the biggest markets for South Korean engineering and infrastructure companies, with the trade volume between the two countries expected to reach $29.5bn by 2025,” he said.
The ambassador said the East Asian country is also looking at expanding ties with Qatar in SME sector, with many Korean companies shortly opening their offices in Doha.
Solar technology in the energy sector, Keejong added, is another area that the two sides are considering co-operation in.
The ambassador did not give any specifics but said that discussions are being held at ministerial level.
At the moment, the envoy revealed, the co-operation between Qatar and South Korea is largely in the energy and construction sectors, with Doha exporting huge quantities of petroleum products to Seoul.
“We want to change this … we want out ties to be based on a much broader range of sectors,” said the ambassador.
The services sector, including culture and academia, is another sector under consideration for co-operation, Chung said.
He also said that the Qatar University is planning to enter into an agreement with the Korean Foundation to establish a centre for the Korean language.
The signing ceremony is expected sometime this year when the chairman of the federation visits Doha.
Chung did not give any firm date because the schedule is still under discussion between the embassy and the university.
