The UAE Embassy in South Korea held a reception on Monday to mark the country's 48th National Day at the Shilla Hotel in downtown Seoul, capital of South Korea.
The guests were led by UAE Minister of Health and Social Welfare Park Nong-Ho, who attended the ceremony on behalf of the South Korean government, and the President of the Korea-UAE Parliamentary Friendship Society, Kim Jong-Hoon, member of the Korean Parliament and Deputy Defense Minister Park. J-Min, member of the Korean parliament Jung Kapp-Yop, as well as heads of diplomatic missions and accredited international organizations in the country, representatives of the public and private sectors, media, cultural and artistic institutions and civil society.
In his welcoming speech to the guests at the ceremony, the UAE Ambassador said, “The dawn of the Union shone on this day in 1971 and the steps of the UAE's confident and triumphant journey towards progress and development to realize its pioneering ambition in all spheres embodied the vision of the UAE 2021 which aims to make the UAE Precious from the best countries in the world on its fiftieth anniversary.
He stressed that the UAE, under wise leadership, is proceeding with unwavering determination in its pioneering career and is thus counting on the sleeves of its children and youth to continue to achieve the great achievements of the country and the citizen.
He pointed out that the progress, development and prosperity experienced by the citizen today in the UAE is accompanied by a balanced foreign policy based on the approach of moderation and the values of righteousness, goodness, humanitarian giving and tolerance.The UAE has become a symbol of humanitarian giving in the world and the UAE's diplomacy has been able to build bridges of brotherly and friendly relations with the countries of the world. .
On the bilateral relations between the two friendly countries, Al-Naimi said that they have witnessed remarkable progress during the past decade as they have been upgraded from strategic partnership since 2009 to special strategic partnership last year.
He added that this partnership was reinforced by high-level visits at the level of leaders between the two countries, most recently by the visit of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of South Korea last February. Between the two sides in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
For his part, Minister Park congratulated the UAE on its 48th National Day, saying that South Korea has been growing with the UAE while maintaining close cooperative relations since the two countries forged diplomatic ties in June 1980.
He stressed that the UAE is a key and permanent partner for South Korea to provide energy, which is an engine of economic growth, as the UAE is one of the largest suppliers of crude oil to Korea and the second largest supplier of liquefied petroleum gas.
He pointed to the fact that the UAE is the first country in the Middle East, signed with South Korea a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in health care and medicine in 2011, and the number of UAE nationals who visit South Korea annually to receive medical services.
He expressed the hope that the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries would be an opportunity for the two sides to go hand in hand in the future and to develop the current achievements based on bilateral cooperation.
He looked forward to successfully hosting the UAE Expo 2020 Dubai, the world's first event.
At the end of the ceremony, the Korean fusion music class Quinn performed with great performances to congratulate the 48th UAE National Day.