UAE and South Korea signed a number of Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) to enhance bilateral relations and cooperation between the two countries on the sidelines of the current visit of South Korean President Moon Jae-in. On Sunday, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and South Korean President Moon attended the signing ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi. The MoUs between both countries included one between UAEs Ministry of Economy and the Korean Ministry of SMEs and Startups regarding cooperation in SMEs and areas of innovation. Another MoU signed included a participation contract for Expo 2020 Dubai. Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development and the South Korean Ministry of Science and ICT also signed MoUs in the fields of science and renewable energy. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed said that the warm ties between the UAE and the Republic of South Korea were an outstanding example of how two countries could base their relationship on trust, common interests and mutual understanding on regional and international issues. He praised the South Korean President’s role in strengthening UAE-South Korean relations, adding that UAE was determined to expand cooperation with South Korea in various sectors, especially energy, technology, industry and investment. The Crown Prince said bilateral relations have the potential to become even stronger, noting that the rate of progress has been very good. "The Republic of Korea has adopted a unique development model based on innovation, creativity and knowledge, and this makes for a very productive relationship with the UAE, which places great emphasis on innovation, technology transfer, production, human resource development and economic diversification. Sustainable development in the post-oil era is one of UAE’s chief priorities," he added. Sheikh Mohamed also expressed his confidence that relations between both countries would become even stronger, boosted by President Moon’s visit. For his part, President Moon Jae-in said South Korea was keen to strengthen its strategic relations with the UAE and develop partnerships in other fields. The President said South Korea wants to upgrade the strategic relations between the countries to a special strategic level which will open new horizons for bilateral cooperation and partnership, which is welcomed by UAE. Both officials stressed their desire to expand areas of cooperation keeping in mind the potential for growth, especially in the fields of investment, technology and energy, in addition to the common political will of the two countries. They also reiterated the importance of consolidating the concepts and values of tolerance, dialogue and co-existence, emphasizing the need for the international community to exert more effort to achieve peace and security.