Top officials from the UAE and Republic of Korea recently held a meeting of the Supreme Joint Committee on cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy that took place in the South Korean capital of Seoul.

Engineer Suhail Mohamed Faraj Al Mazrouei, UAE Minister of Energy and Industry, chaired the meeting, said a statement from the company.

On behalf of the UAE, the meeting was attended by Engineer Mohamed Al Hammadi, CEO of the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (ENEC); Engineer Mohammed Bin Jarsh Al Falasi, undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Department of Energy; Christer Viktorsson, director general of the Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation (FANR); Mr. Nasser Al Nasseri, Barakah One Company CEO, as well as officials from the UAE energy sector and members of the UAE embassy in Seoul.  

On the South Korean side, the delegation was headed by Lee Taeho, Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, along with senior Korean officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and the Nuclear Safety and Security Commission (NSSC).

The UAE Minister of Energy and Industry began the meeting by expressing his thanks and gratitude for the greetings and hospitality of the Korean party, pointing out that this meeting is at the heart of launching a new governmental communication channel between the two countries to achieve further strategic cooperation in peaceful nuclear energy.

During the meeting, the two parties agreed to enhance their bilateral relations in various fields, namely in the field of energy.

Al Mazrouei stressed on the importance of the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant and its role in developing the UAE-Republic of Korea bilateral relationship through the joint venture agreement between ENEC and Korea Electric Power Corporation (Kepco).  

Al Mazrouei also emphasised on the necessity to expand and deepen the current cooperation between the countries to cover other areas of nuclear energy. The two sides also shared views on the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant and continued close communication so the plant can start its operations safely and smoothly.

The two parties agreed to support cooperation among academies working on nuclear projects and to discuss the possibility of further collaboration to establish a Research and Development Center in the UAE. The parties discussed the possibility of cooperation in terms of research and development and human resources to strengthen nuclear safety systems in both countries as per their commitment to actively participate in international efforts to enhance nuclear security.

The two sides agreed to establish four working groups for high-level consultation to achieve concrete results and to continue the cooperation between them.

On the sidelines of the Joint Committee meeting, Minister Al Mazrouei and his accompanying delegation met with Sung Yun-mo Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy and Lee Hak Soo, CEO of the Korean Water Resources Corporation and discussed means of strengthening cooperation between the two countries to jointly develop nuclear energy plants in a third country based on both their experience in the field of nuclear cooperation.

In conclusion, the minutes of the first meeting of the joint committee was signed and Minister Al Mazrouei welcomed the hosting of the next meeting in Abu Dhabi, UAE next year, it stated. – TradeArabia News Service