JEDDAH — Saudi Arabia and South Korea signed here on Sunday two memorandums of understanding and agreements on transportation, energy cooperation and combatting crime. The signing took place in the presence of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and South Korean Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn at Al-Salam Palace, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported. A memorandum of understanding for political consultations between the ministries of foreign affairs in the two countries were signed from the Saudi side by Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel Al-Jubeir and from the South Korean side by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. An executive program for cooperation in the field of land transport was signed by the Ministry of Transport in the Kingdom and the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. A program to attract investments was signed between the Saudi Arabian General Investments Authority (SAGIA) and the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy of South Korea. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the field of combating crime was signed by the Kingdom's Ministry of Interior and the South Korean National Police Agency. South Korea and Saudi Arabia also agreed to expand their cooperation into new fields such as renewable energy and medical service as they seek a future-oriented relationship, Seoul's prime minister said. Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn told reporters that the two countries discussed ways to deepen cooperation in such sectors as health care and housing, along with traditional segments like construction and energy. On Saturday, the prime minister arrived in the Kingdom, the second leg of his overseas trip including stops in Uzbekistan and Turkey. "The purpose of my visit to Saudi Arabia was to reaffirm the two countries' partnership and seek future-oriented relations," he said. Hwang said he has asked Saudi Arabia to offer a chance to South Korean firms to join the Middle Eastern country's projects to nurture new industries by 2030. Earlier, Hwang held a meeting with South Korean nationals living in Saudi Arabia where he expressed the hope that Seoul could deepen its cooperation with the country in a comprehensive manner. "South Korea and Saudi Arabia have diversified the scope of their cooperation," Hwang said. — With agencies
