Industry minister vows to expand ties with UAE

The industry minister vowed to expand ties with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) 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 a four-day trip to the UAE as a follow-up to 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.

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

Khaldoon also asked Korea to play a wider role in the country’s energy projects, the ministry said. Nawah Energy, 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 achievements made at 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 Korea in the near future.