Doha: Foreign ministries of Qatar and Korea jointly hosted the 19th session of the Korea-Middle East Cooperation Forum. They hold this conference with the collaboration of the Diplomatic Institute of Foreign Affairs, the Middle East Council on Global Affairs, the Korea-Arab Society, the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity and the lbn Khaldun Centre at Qatar University. This is the first time since the Forum’s inception that Doha is hosting the session of the Forum.

A large number of participants attended the session. Many prominent figures from political, economic, and academic backgrounds turned up for the cooperation forum. They expressed their views on the growing relationship and cooperation between the Republic of Korea and Middle Eastern countries.

At the occasion, Ahmaed Bin Hassan Al Hammadi, the secretary general of Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated that ” Today is a very historic day, On this day 50 years ago, both countries established their diplomatic relations in the year of 1974. He said that relations between Korea and Qatar have developed in many aspects since 1974″. He further said that the session of Forum also become very important as the Middle East is running through a tough phase given the escalating Israel-Hamas war.
Ahmad Bin Hassan Al Hammadi also appreciated the human rights organization of Korea who  protested against the Israeli attacks on the Gazans.

Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs at the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Byung-won Chung, while speaking on the occasion, underscored the significance of the Forum in resolving the regional conflict.

Another keynote speaker, Young-Hoon Kang, expressed his gratitude towards the officials of both the countries and organizers of the Forum. He also said that the Forum plays a vital role in recognizing the interrelation among the Middle Eastern countries and their people. There is great potential in the sectors of energy, agriculture, health, and hydrogen for both countries, he added.

It’s worth mentioning that the Forum also included three different panel discussions for exploring the opportunities in the era of green transformation and the future of Humanitarian and cultural ties between both countries.

At the conclusion of the session, of forum secretary general of both counties emphasized the importance of these forums.