Deputy FM to visit UAE in first diplomatic trip for in-person talks since pandemic

Diplomacy 17:00 June 11, 2020

SEOUL, June 11 (Yonhap) -- Deputy Foreign Minister Kim Gunn will travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) later this week to discuss ways to enhance cooperation amid the coronavirus pandemic, the foreign ministry said Thursday.

His three-day trip, running through Monday, will be the first overseas visit by a South Korean diplomat for face-to-face talks with foreign counterparts since countries went under lockdowns and closed borders over the COVID-19 outbreak. The last known in-person visit by a foreign ministry official was one made to Los Angeles by Jeong Eun-bo, chief negotiator for defense cost-sharing talks with the United States, in mid-March.

During the trip to the UAE, Kim is expected to call for the need to create a fast-track entry system for businesspeople so as to help them make progress with their overseas businesses, the ministry said.

He will also discuss with officials in the Middle Eastern country ways to reinforce quarantine measures for South Korean nationals against COVID-19. Other bilateral issues, such as promoting the special strategic partnership between the two sides, will also be among the agenda items, the ministry added.