Page 226 - 2020 Defence White Paper

October 2019, the ROK Minister of National Defense made active efforts to vitalize
defense exports through bilateral talks with Saudi Arabia’s Chairman of the General
Staff, who participated in the Seoul ADEX, requesting Saudi Arabia’s support for
the ROK’s excellent defense products. In November 2019, the ROK Minister of
National Defense visited Saudi Arabia to hold bilateral talks with Crown Prince of
Saudi Arabia Mohammed bin Salman as well as their Defense Minister, and made
efforts to institutionalize defense cooperation between the two countries.
The ROK Minister of National Defense attended the UAE International Defense
Exhibition & Conference (IDEX) in February 2019 and the ROK Vice Minister of
National Defense attended the Turkey International Defense Industry Fair (IDEF) in
May 2019 to hold bilateral talks with delegations and military officials from major
countries in the Middle East including Oman and Egypt, and discussed ways to
promote cooperation in defense and the defense industry. The Egyptian Defense
Minister Assistant who visited the ROK for the 8th SDD held in September 2019 held
bilateral talks with the ROK Vice Minister of National Defense and agreed to make
active efforts to strengthen cooperation in defense exchanges between the ROK and
Egypt. In October 2019, the ROK Minister of National Defense visited Oman to
sign an MOU on defense cooperation. The Defense Ministers of the two countries
agreed to make mutual efforts to expand defense cooperation between the ROK and
Oman and especially discussed in depth ways to further enhance defense industry
cooperation.
While continuing to take interest to changes in the situation and dynamics in the
Middle East, the MND will further develop cooperation in defense and the defense

industry with major countries in the Middle East including UAE, Saudi Arabia,
Oman, and Egypt through regular high-level military meetings and working-level
meetings.

Europe and Canada Europe is a major partner in the ROK’s security and a
major pillar of defense diplomacy centered on tradi-
tional allies, and has expressed its willingness to continue supporting the ROK in the
process of establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula. The MND is invigorating
cooperation in the defense and defense industry domain centered on bilateral and
mini-multilateral consultative bodies with European nations, and at the same time, is
deepening its relations with European countries in various ways by strengthening
friendly cooperative relations with the EU and NATO.
In March 2019, the ROK Minister of National Defense, along with King Philippe
and Queen Mathilde of Belgium, attended the memorial ceremony for Belgian

224 2020 Defense White Paper