S.Korea for peaceful settlement of UAE islands issue

WAM Abu Dhabi, 21st Jan. 2009 (WAM) - South Korea said today it prefers a peaceful settlement to the issue of the UAE three islands, occupied by Iran.

Kim Hyong-O, speaker of the Korean National Assembly, expressed today Korea's unequivocal stance toward the issue which calls for finding a solution through negotiation and peaceful dialogue.

''The issue should be settled through negotiations ....... our position is against the use of violence or force ....we favour negotiation and dialogue,''he said in a reply to a question by WAM during a joint press conference he held here today Abdul Aziz Abdullah Al Ghurair, Speaker of the Federal National Council.

He said Korea was willing to further boost its cooperation with the UAE in several fields, mainly in development of sources of energy.

According to him, energy holds the key to future.

On Gaza, he said the Korean parliament demanded an immediate halt of Israeli aggression on Gaza. He pointed out that his country had provided humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians worth $ 300,000 in addition to $ one million raised in donations.