Seoul: Senior defense officials from South Korea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) convened for discussions on enhancing their security collaboration and advancing their defense and arms industry cooperation, as reported by Seoul's defense ministry. The meeting, held in Seoul, involved South Korea's Vice Defense Minister Lee Doo-hee and his UAE counterpart, Ibrahim Nasser Mohammed Al Alawi.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the vice defense ministerial-level steering committee meeting focused on expanding joint training, personnel exchanges, and fostering long-term collaboration in the arms industry, as well as the defense science and technology sector. The officials also discussed key security issues, with the UAE expressing support for dialogue and diplomacy in South Korea's efforts to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula.
During his visit, Al Alawi met with Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and is scheduled to visit a South Korean air base in Sacheon for a test flight of a prototype of South Korea's KF-21 fighter jet. In April, both countries signed a letter of intent for comprehensive cooperation regarding the KF-21 jets.