The 13th Korea-Middle East Cooperation Forum, organized by the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs and co-hosted by Korea-Arab Society(KAS), Jeju Peace Institute(JPI) and Kuwaiti Diplomatic Center for Strategic Studies(DCSS) took place in Kuwait on 7 November. This is a track 1.5 forum participated by the private and public sectors and first launched in 2003, in Korea and the Middle East on a rotational basis.

This year’s forum under the theme “Towards an Enduring Partnership for a Shared Future” featured three sessions. The forum brought together about 100 people including incumbents and former high-level officials, politicians, business people, media and scholars. The participants exchanged knowledge and opinions on the development of the relationship between Korea and the Middle East to establish networks.

Those included H.E. Reyad Yassin, Ambassador of Yemen to France and former Foreign Minister of Yemen, H.E. Mazen Shamiya, Assistant Minister for Asian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Palestine, H.E. Mustafa Al-Sayed, Secretary-General of Royal Charity Organization of Bahrain, H.E. Shin Bong-kil, former President of Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security, Dr. Seo Jeong-min, professor of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Dr. Lee Kwon Hyung, Head of Africa and the Middle East Team of the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy and Mr. Lee Kwangil, MENA Regional Vice President of Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency.

H.E. Kim Hyoung-zhin, Deputy Minister for Political Affairs of Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, presented in his keynote speech about the global economic status and that the Korean government has implemented three pillars of diplomatic policies towards the Middle East region.

The forum brought together participants from Korea and diverse Middle Eastern region such as Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Oman, Palestine, the UAE and Yemen. It served as an opportunity for all participants to discuss imperative issues in depth ways for Korea and the Middle East to develop mutual understanding and to build networks among them.