Lee says S. Korean troops in UAE crucial for bilateral ties
ABU DHABI (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak stressed that the role of South Korean troops in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is important not only for the ties between the two sides but also for South Korea's long-term national interests.
He said that in that sense, each of the soldiers is like an "ambassador."
"The UAE is a special country (for South Korea). South Korea and the UAE can be viewed as having brotherly relations," Lee said Saturday during a visit to the base of 130 South Korean troops, mostly commandos, in Al Ain, 160 kilometers east of the capital Abu Dhabi.
It was the president's first visit to a South Korean military camp abroad since his inauguration in early 2008.
The 130-strong special forces unit, named "Ahk," which translates into "brother" in Arabic, was dispatched to the UAE in January for a two-year mission to help train local troops in anti-terrorism and parachute infiltration as well as to conduct joint drills.
South Korea has sent many troops to foreign nations to assist the U.N.'s peacekeeping operations or U.S.-led multinational forces.
But the dispatch of soldiers on a bilateral basis is a new model of military cooperation with a foreign nation for South Korea's military seeking to expand contributions to the international community.
Lee said the troops in the UAE can take pride in their mission and they should show exemplary behaviors to the local military and residents.
"Each of you should play a role as ambassador" to be suitable for growing ties between the nations, Lee said.
South Korea expects the Ahk unit to boost bilateral defense ties and enhance cooperation in various other fields.
Lee arrived in Abu Dhabi Saturday about two hours behind schedule, as his plane was forced to make an emergency landing on its way here due to a minor technical glitch.
About 20 minutes after taking off at 8:10 a.m. (Seoul time) from a military airport just south of Seoul, the presidential jet, a Boeing 747 jet leased from Korean Air, developed a minor mechanical problem and flew back, presidential aides said. (Yonhap)