South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan was set to leave on Saturday for a six-day visit to the United Arab Emirates and Algeria, where cooperation in the energy sector is expected to be high on the agenda, Kim's office said. 

   The Feb. 5-10 trip includes talks with UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed al-Nahayan and Algeria's Foreign Minister Mourad Medelci, officials at the foreign ministry said.

   Kim is scheduled to discuss how to improve a "strategic partnership" with the nations and exchange views on issues regarding the Korean Peninsula and the Middle East, according to the ministry.

   Kim also plans to meet with South Korean business executives there, the ministry said.

   "The Middle East visit by Minister Kim is expected to lay the groundwork to bolster energy cooperation with the resource-rich nations," a ministry official said on the condition of anonymity. (Yonhap News)