Qatar, S Korea widen areas of co-operation

The fifth session of the Qatar-South Korea high-level strategic co-operation committee is set to be held next month to further strengthen bilateral ties in various fields, South Korean ambassador Heung Kyeong-park announced yesterday.
The event, which will be attended by Qatar’s Minister of Energy and Industry HE Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada, forms part of Qatari and South Korean co-operation beyond energy and infrastructure, the envoy explained at the Korean National Day reception at their embassy in Doha.
The celebration was attended by HE Dr al-Sada, Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Chief of Protocol Ibrahim Yousif Abdullah Fakhroo, diplomats and other dignitaries.
Park stressed that the two countries are also expected to boost their relations in the fields of education, agriculture, sports and healthcare, among others. “Moving away from industry, I would like to mention that last November, the first living donor liver transplantation in Qatar was conducted along with cardiac and orthopaedic surgeries on the occasion of the Korea – Qatar Medical Forum,” Park noted.
He added that the second edition of the medical forum, scheduled early next month, will witness new and advanced liver and heart artery surgical operations.
Early next year will also provide “fertile opportunities for exchange on the sporting front,” Park said, citing the upcoming world sports events scheduled to take place in the Asian region. “The Winter Olympics will be held in Pyongchang, South Korea, from February 9 to 25, 2018 while the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics comes not far behind,” he noted. “It will be followed by the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and, most importantly, the Qatar World Cup in the same year.”
The envoy hopes such “opportunities will strengthen the ideals of harmony and peace against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions and conflict especially throughout Asia.”
“I also hope that South Korea and Qatar, as hosts of two of these global sporting celebrations, can pull their weight as champions of such causes,” he added.
About Qatar and South Korea trade relations, Park said Qatar continues to supply one third of South Korean natural gas consumption (12mn tonnes annually) and one tenth of South Korea’s oil consumption (100mn barrels annually).
At least 15 South Korean companies are participating in the construction of various infrastructure projects in the country such as the Doha Metro, Lusail Expressway, Umm Haul power and desalination plant, and the Qatar National Museum, according to the envoy.
Meanwhile, a cake-cutting ceremony and a Korean B-Boy Group performance by Jinjo Crew marked the National Day, with a variety of Korean food served to guests at the event. Park also announced that the South Korean economic and political situation is stabilising after the presidential election last May. “Korean stock indices (KOSPI) increased from 1970 from the year before to 2,270 just after the recent presidential election to 2,526 today,” he said.
The envoy added that North Korea has not conducted a missile test for two months, the longest such lull in testing this year.
The issue is still being closely monitored and discussed by the South Korean government with the governments of the US, China and other major countries to force North Korea to move in the right direction, according to Park.
“As long as we stand united I believe the situation in the Korean peninsula and beyond can be stabilised further,” he added.