UAE crown prince to visit Korea next week

By Na Jeong-ju

Staff Reporter

The crown prince of the United Arab Emirates will visit Seoul from May 25 to 28 for talks with President Lee Myung-bak on strengthening nuclear cooperation and energy ties, Cheong Wa Dae announced Tuesday.

The trip comes only a few months after a South Korean consortium, led by the state-owned Korea Electric Power Corp. won a $20 billion contract late last year to build nuclear power plants in the Middle East nation in one of the largest international energy deals ever sealed.

The talks between Lee and Mahammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, slated to take place at Cheong Wa Dae on May 25, will focus on the progress of the nuclear cooperation and ways to increase economic collaboration and bilateral investment, according to the presidential office.

The 49-year-old crown prince will visit one of the nuclear power plants on the east coast and nearby industrial facilities.

He also plans to meet with political and economic leaders here to discuss future joint projects aimed at developing a lasting strategic cooperative partnership between the two nations.