Industry minister vows to expand ties with UAE in energy segment

South Korea's industry minister vowed to expand ties with the United Arab Emirates in the energy segment and seek new opportunities based on their cooperation in the Barakah nuclear plant project, the government said Tuesday.

Sung Yun-mo returned home Monday from his four-day trip to the UAE as a follow-up of President Moon Jae-in's visit in March last year and to check progress in the two countries' cooperation in the energy industry, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said. 

(Yonhap)

The policymaker met Khaldoon Al Mubarak, chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority of Abu Dhabi, and highlighted the importance of comprehensive cooperation in the Barakah nuclear plant project, and asked the authority to set its eyes on South Korean companies currently bidding for a long-term maintenance agreement for the plant.

Khaldoon also asked South Korea to play a wider role in the country's energy projects, the ministry said. Nawah Energy Co., the operator of the Barakah nuclear plant, has been in talks with three bidders -- a Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power-led consortium, Doosan Babcock and Allied Power of the United States -- concerning the contract.

Sung and Khaldoon discussed ways to expand ties between the two countries based on the achievements made from the Barakah plant.

The two countries also agreed to join ties in tapping energy projects in other countries, with Saudi Arabia being a potential location.

Emphasizing the importance of promoting exchanges, Khaldoon claimed that the country's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan plans to visit South Korea in the near future.

Sung also asked the UAE to give South Korea more opportunities in the energy segment, claiming Seoul's experiences in the petrochemical industry can effectively support the Middle Eastern country's energy projects.

The minister took part in the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week on Monday and met Saudi Arabia's Energy Minister Khalid Al-Falih to discuss various energy-related issues and the economic cooperation between the two nations. (Yonhap)