President Moon Jae-in met with H.E. Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, a special envoy from the United Arab Emirates, at Cheong Wa Dae from 4:00 to 4:35 this afternoon. They discussed how to advance Korea-UAE relations.

President Moon noted the steady progress of the strategic partnership between the two nations, asking the Special Envoy to play a role in and make a contribution to upgrading the partnership to a forward-looking, mature relationship.

Notably, President Moon said H.E. Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak has been playing a decisive role in deepening substantive cooperation between Korea and the United Arab Emirates in a variety of areas, including a nuclear power plant construction project in Barakah. The President reaffirmed that he has firm resolve to further promote the Korea-UAE strategic partnership going forward based on bilateral trust as the two countries have done thus far.

Noting that it was meaningful for the construction of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant, the first nuclear energy plant in the UAE, to be completed by the end of this year, the President said he looked forward to the successful completion of the Barakah project, a symbol of Korea-UAE cooperation. 

The visiting Special Envoy said that the UAE was working to develop the most valued strategic partnership with Korea in the region based on mutual trust between the two nations. In this connection, he went on to say that he would do his utmost to contribute to the advancement of bilateral relations. 

Delivering a letter from Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan to President Moon, the Special Envoy expressed the hope that President Moon and the UAE crown prince would visit each other at mutually convenient times and agreed with the President to discuss the matter through diplomatic channels.