Leaders of S. Korea, UAE celebrate completion of first Barakah reactor

ABU DHABI, March 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Moon Jae-in made a joint trip with the leader of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday to the construction site of a nuclear power plant being built by South Korea, highlighting the countries' special relationship, which began nine years ago. The trip by Moon and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan follows the recent completion of the first of four nuclear reactors at the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant. The other three reactors are set to be completed before the end of the year, according to the South Korean presidential office Cheong Wa Dae. It also came one day after the two leaders agreed to upgrade their countries' relationship to a "special strategic partnership" in a bilateral summit held here. Moon arrived in Abu Dhabi Saturday on a four-day official visit that will later take him to Dubai. "The Barakah reactors have indeed been barakah," President Moon said earlier in an interview with local news outlet Emirates News Agency, noting that barakah means blessings from God in Arabic. "Now I believe it is time for the two countries to go beyond the area of physical economic relations, such as energy and construction projects, and start establishing a new initiative for future-oriented cooperation that will lead their growth and development," he said. The countries established diplomatic ties in 1980, and upgraded them to a strategic partnership in 2009 when Seoul secured the contract worth nearly US$19 billion to build the Barakah reactors. Monday's trip by Moon and the UAE leader underscored the importance of the Barakah plant for both South Korea and the Middle Eastern country, a Cheong Wa Dae official noted. "Today's ceremony is very special. Eight members of Abu Dhabi's royal family, including the Crown Prince, took part in the ceremony, which marks a very rare occasion in the UAE. That shows how great their expectations are for nuclear cooperation and cooperation between the two countries," said Kim Hyun-chul, special advisor to President Moon for economic affairs, according to Cheong Wa Dae pool reports. At the Barakah plant, the South Korean president met 200 South Korean engineers and laborers working at the construction site to personally congratulate them and thank them for their work, which he earlier said has greatly served their country by bringing South Korea and the UAE closer. The trip also included a lunch with South Korean and UAE workers there, according to Cheong Wa Dae. bdk@yna.co.kr (END)