S. Korean president calls for increased cooperation with Qatar

SEOUL, May 25 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Myung-bak called Monday for
improved ties between his country and Qatar, saying they must work to expand
their cooperation from energy to other sectors.

"There have been many exchanges between the two countries...but I think they must
further strengthen their cooperation," the South Korean president said in a
meeting with Crown Prince of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Lee said the prince's visit to Seoul is an important opportunity to strengthen
the relationship between Korea and the Middle Eastern nation, which is Seoul's
number one supplier of natural gas.
Monday's meeting was Lee's first official appointment since his immediate
predecessor, Roh Moo-hyun, died early Saturday after falling from a cliff near
his retirement home in Bongha Village, some 450 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
Tamim offered condolences to the bereaved family of the former leader.
Roh made South Korea's first-ever presidential visit to Qatar in 2007. He stepped
down as president in February 2008 after a single five-year term.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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