By Chung Min-uck
Experts from Korea and the Middle East will gather today to discuss ways of further strengthening the ties between the two regions at the Lotte Hotel on Jeju Island.
The 8th Korea-Middle East Cooperation Forum will be held under the theme of “Strengthening the Korea-GCC Relationship in a Time of Change” reflecting the recent democratization movements in the Arab world and its growing economic influence.
“We are going to discuss ways to promote the relationship between the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) and Korea following the growth in the role of GCC countries in the international community through their abundant resources and future vision,” said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in a statement.
The foreign ministry is the official sponsor of the forum, co-hosted with the Jeju Peace Institute (JPI) and United Arab Emirates (UAE) Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research (ECSSR).
The GCC is a political and economic union of Arab states bordering the Persian Gulf and was created in 1981. The member states are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
“Didn’t our country select the UAE as a partner among many Arab nations? President Lee Myung-bak had visited the UAE several times. Also the region is very important for the safe supply of resources. So this time we are focusing the forum on the relationship with the GCC,” said Han Tae-kyu, president of the JPI.
The first forum was in Cairo, Egypt, in 2003. Since then, the gathering has been held every year under various themes to promote relations between Korea and Middle East.
“The Middle East was already important for us in terms of the construction industry 40 years ago. Now we are relying on GCC countries for the safe supply of resources. The GCC is very important to us,” said Choi Seung-hoh, secretary-general of the Korea-Arab Society and a participant of the forum.
“We also need to strengthen the political relationship with the GCC keeping in mind the growing feasibility of it in the international community,” added Choi.
“It’s time for the relationship to go beyond (economics and politics) to pure friendship through personal exchanges.”
During the forum, discussants will exchange views on economic cooperation, geopolitical challenges and cultural exchanges in three separate sessions.
Joining the forum are former and incumbent high-level government officials, scholars and professors from Korea and the GCC.
Yu Myung-hwan, former foreign minister, and Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, chairman of King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, will make keynote speeches.