South Korean envoy praises friendly relations with Qatar
South Korean ambassador to Qatar Kim Chang-mo praised the friendly relations between the two countries, developing rapidly since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1974. The ambassador noted, in an exclusive statement to Qatar News Agency, that Qatar is currently the number one supplier of LNG to South Korea. He added that the two countries have similarities, for example, both are peninsulas that were able to achieve rapid economic development in a relatively short period of time with the efforts of the people and under wise leadership. Furthermore, both countries place emphasis on education. The ambassador congratulated His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, His Highness the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and His Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani and the government and people of Qatar on the occasion of National Day, which is also celebrated by the residents, including 2,000 Koreans residing in Qatar. He pointed out that the two countries have great potential to expand their co-operation in mutually beneficial way, not only in energy sector, but in other areas such as agriculture, aquaculture, ICT, public health, medical industry, security and other fields. Ambassador Kim Chang-mo stressed that Qatar’s ability to overcome the difficulties from the blockade and turn the crisis into opportunities is very impressive, adding that the achievements made during the blockade in self-sufficiency and food security areas deserve high estimation. He also praised Qatar for its extensive development in all fields under the leadership of His Highness the Amir. He said, “Since I arrived in Doha last May as a new ambassador of Korea to Qatar, I have visited many places, not only infrastructure facilities such as Hamad Port, petro-chemical industrial areas in Ras Laffan and high-tech cattle farms, but also cultural and educational facilities like Education City, Katara ... It’s amazing that Qatar has achieved enormous development and modernisation under the leadership of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani.” The ambassador affirmed that Qatar will succeed in hosting the 2022 World Cup and in achieving the Qatar National Vision 2030 with this dynamism and insightful leadership. He expressed his happiness that Korean companies have contributed to Qatar’s efforts for self-sufficiency and food security and participated in various construction projects such as desalination and power generation. The ambassador praised Qatar’s efforts in the field of humanitarian assistance throughout the world. He pointed out that these activities are highly appreciated by both the beneficiaries and the international community. Ambassador Kim Chang-mo continued by saying that “in the multilateral arena, such as the United Nations, Qatar is very active in issues of human rights, development, counter-terrorism and seems well-recognised by the international community.”