ABU DHABI (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak expressed confidence that strategic relations between his country and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will continue to develop, spurred by partnerships on nuclear power plant construction and the stationing of South Korean troops in the Middle Eastern country.
"I expect that the horizon of bilateral cooperation will continue to expand into other areas, including new and renewable energy, information and communications technology and finance", Lee said in a written interview with the UAE's official WAM news agency.
He arrived here on Saturday for a three-day stay during which he plans to hold a summit with President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
In the summit to be held Sunday, Lee said he and the UAE leader will discuss a broad range of issues, including energy, construction, plant projects, defense cooperation, environment and health care.
"It is important to note that our two countries have long maintained cooperative relations in the energy sector. And in light of the recent surge in oil prices, we are expected to discuss continued collaboration in this area. Other main topics will include cooperation in various sectors including future new growth engines," he added.
He is also scheduled to attend the groundbreaking ceremony for the initial work at the proposed Braka nuclear power plant site, which he described as a project that has served as a catalyst for the remarkable advancement of relations between the two countries.
South Korea and the UAE signed the deal, worth as much as $40 billion, in December 2009 when the South Korean leader visited Abu Dhabi.
"Korea-UAE collaboration is also making substantial progress on the strength of the agreement for the construction of nuclear power plants and the establishment of the strategic partnership between our two nations in December 2009," Lee said.
He said the two sides should expand partnership on green growth.
"Green growth is a future-oriented growth paradigm that enables sustainable living by simultaneously pursuing the preservation of the environment and economic growth," he said.
Lee has been selected as the recipient of this year's Zayed International Prize for the Environment, an award to commemorate former President Zayed, a pioneer who turned the desert country of the UAE into an environment-friendly nation.
Lee said the dispatch of 130 South Korean troops to the UAE in January also demonstrates close cooperation between the two nations.
The president appreciated the UAE's decision to participate in the Yeosu Expo to open in August next year in the southwestern South Korean city, saying the country will be able to publicize its rich cultural legacies and efforts to preserve marine resources.
"In recognition of the pressing need to conserve the environment, the Yeosu Expo will deal with various issues threatening humanity such as contamination of seawater, destruction of eco-systems and the rise of the sea level," Lee said.
"I believe the Yeosu Expo will be a historic event which will highlight these concerns and present new visions for so-called "sustainable development," he added.(Yonhap)