PHOTO: Yonhap. One-on-one meeting between Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia (left) and South Korean President Moon Jae-in
South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met in Seoul on Wednesday, June 26th to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation in a wide range of areas.
“Since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1962, they have promoted their special partnership and cooperation. I hope the two countries can develop mutual prosperity and co-existence,” Moon stated at the start of the meeting.
At the meeting, economic projects between the two nations were highlighted as well as Seoul’s involvement in Saudi’s Vision 2030 program. This program is aimed to reduce the country’s economic dependence on oil and developing its public service sectors. In 2017, South Korea and Saudi Arabia launched a joint 2030 Project to promote the two countries’ exchanges.
“Korea is a strategic partner in Vision 2030, and the two countries are expanding the horizon of cooperation beyond construction and energy to ICT, smart infrastructure and other new industries,” Moon said, going on to list other areas in which the two sides are seeking closer cooperation.
In response, the Saudi crown prince described ties with Seoul as a “relationship of brotherhood.”
Describing South Korea as a key strategic partner across all areas of the bilateral relationship, the prince went on to say that there remain many areas in which the two sides can increase cooperation.
The two also decided to diversify cooperation into new industries in the era of the so-called fourth industrial revolution. In a related move, the two nations signed 10 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) in order to promote cooperation in fields such as the auto industry, health care and the hydrogen-based economy.
Regarding the hydrogen economy, the two countries agreed to cooperate in developing technologies for production, storage and transportation of hydrogen for projects concerning hydrogen-powered vehicles.
At the signing ceremony, both South Korean and Saudi corporations, including Hyundai Motor Group, S-Oil and Saudi Aramco signed memorandums and contracts on projects with a combined value of $8.3 billion.
https://asianews.network/2019/06/27/korea-saudi-seek-closer-cooperation/
https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20190626002251315
PHOTO: Jacquelyn Martin. US Secretary of State Michael R Pompeo (left) with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modie (right) in New Delhi on Wednesday
On Wednesday, June 26th, the US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, India’s capital. They discussed various aspects of the bilateral relationship to strengthen the India-US strategic partnership. There have been growing tensions between the two nations over trade and tariffs that have strained the partners’ ties.
Few weeks ago, India imposed tariffs on 28 US products in retaliation for the US ending India’s preferential trade status in the beginning of June and imposing higher duties on products like steel and aluminum.
The spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs Raveesh Kumar said, “Working together to further deepen our strategic partnership, Secretary Pompeo called on PM Narendra Modi to exchange views on various aspects of Indo-US relationship.”
This visit is the first high-level engagement between the two countries since Modi’s reelection last month. It is also before the scheduled meeting between President Donald Trump and Modi on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Japan later this week.
The two countries’ officials are likely to discuss India’s plans to purchase Russia’s S-400 air defense system as well as US sanctions buying oil from Iran. Indian officials say they have different thoughts with the US over political and strategic issues including on Iran, but they have cautioned that the two nations need to be careful on trade and commerce.
While US has continued to assert that this visit will further strengthen the ties between the US and India, several contentious topics such as India’s missile deal with Russia and H-1B visas will be up for discussion.
https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/us-mike-pompeo-modi-secretary-of-state-donald-trump-1556293-2019-06-26
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/06/pompeo-meets-indian-leader-trade-tensions-190626065952503.html
BY MSEAP Cyber Secretariat (mseap@assembly.go.kr |
