Written Interview by President Roh Moo-hyun of the Republic of Korea with Al Sharq and The Peninsula of the State of Qatar
PRESIDENT ROH: First of all, I am pleased to be the first Korean President to visit Qatar since the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries in 1974.
My visit this time is designed to pave the way for our two close countries to move forward economically and diplomatically as mature partners in step with the information and knowledge era in the 21st century.
During my visit, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and I will hold a summit and announce the Joint Declaration on Building Comprehensive Cooperation Between the Republic of Korea and the State of Qatar. In addition, I will suggest the two countries further expand collaboration in various areas, including energy and construction projects.
Qatar continues to develop as a hub country in the Middle East while Korea is aiming to become a hub in Northeast Asia. Playing off each other’s strengths, the two countries can work together and contribute greatly to common prosperity.
QUESTION 2: What is His Excellency’s assessment of the relations between Korea and Qatar in the political, economic and other fields? What steps, if any, are being taken to further improve the close ties between the two countries?
PRESIDENT ROH: Korea and Qatar have fostered close amicable cooperative relations since the establishment of diplomatic ties. The two countries are supporting each other’s stance as friends in the international community and maintaining reciprocal cooperation as valuable partners complementing each other in terms of the economy.
Notably, the two countries have been forging an exemplary win-win cooperative case in the energy and shipbuilding sectors. Qatar is the largest supplier of LNG and the fifth largest provider of crude oil for Korea, which in turn provides the greatest number of LNG carriers to Qatar.
Both countries should work together to produce equally successful cooperation models in additional areas, including construction and industrial plant projects as well as information and communication technology, in an effort to further enhance close bilateral relations. The active participation of Korean businesses in the on-going national project to upgrade the Qatari infrastructure will be beneficial for both countries. I also hope that more investments will be flowing into both economies, which have great potential for further growth.
I believe that bilateral relations will move a notch higher on the basis of the Joint Declaration on Building Comprehensive Cooperation that Sheikh Hamad and I will announce this time and about ten other bilateral collaboration agreements to be signed, including the one on the avoidance of double taxation.
QUESTION 3: What in His Excellency’s view are the prospects of future cooperation between Korea and Qatar, especially in the realm of natural gas and petrochemical development, as Qatar is making big strides in these sectors?
PRESIDENT ROH: In the light of the complementary nature of our economies and willingness to expand cooperation, collaboration between Korea and Qatar will be further expanded in the future.
In particular, there is a high likelihood of bilateral cooperation in LNG and petrochemical sectors. During my visit, for example, a long-term contract is scheduled to be signed for an additional purchase of LNG in the amount of 2.1 million tons annually.
Qatar is currently running a development project in its northern gas field to quadruple the nation’s LNG output by 2012. I am looking forward to seeing Korean-built ships carrying Qatari LNG and plying waters all over the world.
I also hope that many more Korean companies will have a chance to participate in gas-to-liquid development (GTL) and other ambitious petrochemical projects that Qatar is conducting, making a positive contribution to the growth of the country’s energy industry.
QUESTION 4: Korean companies have a fair presence here and since Qatar is expected to attract massive foreign investment over the next few years, particularly in the gas and downstream sectors as well as infrastructure development, what are the prospects of Korean firms entering the market here to take advantage of the boom?
PRESIDENT ROH: There are roughly 20 Korean companies currently operating in Qatar, and many more Korean companies are looking forward to moving into closer economic cooperation with Qatar.
More than 200 Korea business leaders are accompanying me during this trip and will hold construction and IT exhibitions, the Korea-Qatar Business Forum and a trade and investment fair. The Korea-Qatar Economic Forum held in Seoul in January this year was a great success, having brought together nearly 300 business leaders from both countries.
Korean companies are greatly interested in Qatar’s comprehensive development project capitalized with US$135 billion over the next five years. These companies possess the most up-to-date expertise that has fueled economic growth and would be glad to share their technology and know-how with Qatar. Should Qatar team up with Korean companies, I am certain that the country would be satisfied with the results.
QUESTION 5: Qatar is gradually emerging as a hub of activity in the Arab world as it works busy developing massive healthcare and education infrastructure. In the offing are big Education and Medical Cities. What are, therefore, the prospects of Korean companies cooperating with Qatar in these development projects?
PRESIDENT ROH: Qatar is carrying out a distinct strategy that would put the country on a track to become an education and healthcare hub of the Middle East. Led by Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al-Missned, in particular, Qatar has built an Education City that many cities around the world are benchmarking against. The country’s creative vision will continue to turn into a successful reality as it bolts ahead on the initiatives to build a medical city, science and technology park and a free investment area.
Korean universities have shown great interest in information sharing and scholar exchange programs with their Qatari counterparts. I also think that there is a great potential for cooperation in information and technology where Korean companies have world-leading expertise. The two countries are now positively assessing the prospect of cooperation in stem cell research and other healthcare-related areas.
I also hope that the two countries will sign the Executive Program of Cultural Cooperation Agreement at the earliest date to boost substantive cooperation in academic, education and youth exchanges.
QUESTION (6 and 9): What is Korea’s stance on the North Korean nuclear issue and how is the dialogue process making progress? What is Korea doing to block North Korea’s nuclear development plans? Is Seoul doing enough to prevent the North from pressing ahead with its plans?
PRESIDENT ROH: The South Korean government has exerted its utmost effort to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue peacefully through diplomacy. Last year, Pyongyang launched missiles and conducted a nuclear test while the Six-Party Talks in Beijing were deadlocked. Under the difficult situation, the Korean Government endeavored ceaselessly to revive the multinational talks in charge of finding solutions to the nuclear face-off while taking resolute action against the North’s reckless behavior.
As a result, the Six-Party Talks reached a significant agreement on February 13. For a long time, the multilateral talks have spent precious time exchanging rhetoric, but now the parties concerned seem to have entered the stage of action for the resolution of the nuclear issue.
My Administration will continue to consult other members of the Six-Party Talks, including the United States, China, Japan and Russia, in an attempt to make certain that Pyongyang carries out its promise to disable its nuclear facilities in return for international economic assistance. Korea will continue to work hard and see to it that other international structural matters intrinsic to the nuclear issue will be solved. The related issues include normalization of diplomatic relations between Washington and Pyongyang and between Tokyo and Pyongyang, construction of a permanent peace system on the Korean Peninsula, and formation of a multilateral security cooperation system in Northeast Asia. Qatar is the only non-permanent member of the UN Security Council coming from the Middle East region, and I count on Qatar’s active cooperation in this regard.
QUESTION 7: How does His Excellency assess the situation as regards the Middle East issue and what is Korea doing to ensure peace in the region?
PRESIDENT ROH: The Korean Government believes that peace and stability in the Middle East exert a major impact on peace in Northeast Asia and the world for that matter. I highly regard the people of Qatar and Sheikh Hamad who have endeavored so hard to bring about enduring peace in the Middle East.
In recent history, Korea has had a painful experience of being colonized and divided by war. So the Korean people’s desire to live in peace is special, indeed, and for that reason, they desire to contribute to making peace in the Middle East as well.
Korea has been playing a role in helping bring about peace and rehabilitation in Iraq and has been participating in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The Republic will continue to proactively partake in the international activities aimed at recovering peace and stability in the Middle East.
QUESTION 8: Mr. Ban Ki-Moon’s choice as UN Secretary-General is a feather in Korea’s cap. How, in His Excellency’s view, can Korea benefit from his elevation, especially with regard to the situation in the Northeast Asian region?
PRESIDENT ROH: First of all, I am thankful to the Qatari Government for rendering active support for Mr. Ban in the course of selecting the UN Secretary-General.
I have no doubt that Secretary-General Ban, who is blessed with extraordinary leadership and diplomatic experience, will tackle a diversity of global issues fairly and creatively based on universal values of humanity. His Korean background should prove helpful in coping with matters concerning peace and stability in the world, not to mention Northeast Asia and the Middle East, because in his lifetime, Korea experienced war and extreme poverty before rapidly emerging as a fine democracy and the 12th strongest economic power in the world. Mr. Ban is an expert in North Korean affairs and will no doubt help enhance ties between South and North Korea.
웹사이트: http://www.president.go.kr
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2008년 8월 6일 17:22
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