S. Korean president calls for increased cooperation with Qatar

By Byun Duk-kun

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.
The South Korean president also called on Qatar to increase its investment in
South Korea's business sectors, including finance and construction, saying, "The
Korean economy is strong and open to the world market," according to his
spokeswoman Kim Eun-hye.
The Qatari prince said his country was ready to make large investments and that
it will soon send a delegation here for discussions with South Korean officials,
Kim said in a press release.
Monday's meeting was Lee's first official appointment since his immediate
predecessor, Roh Moo-hyun, died early Saturday after jumping 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.