South Korea and the United Arab Emirates(UAE) have agreed to jointly pursue overseas nuclear power projects as part of bilateral cooperation on nuclear energy.

According to Seoul’s foreign ministry on Wednesday, the two sides made the agreement the previous day during the sixth High-Level Consultation on Nuclear Cooperation in Abu Dhabi.

In her opening remarks, Second Vice Foreign Minister Kang In-sun said the two countries achieved significant results in nuclear cooperation last year with the start of commercial operation of the fourth unit of the South Korea-built Barakah nuclear power plant.

Kang expressed hope that the latest meeting would pave the way for “post-Barakah” nuclear cooperation.

UAE Energy Minister Suhail Mohamed Al Mazrouei proposed that the two nations expand cooperation to address future demand for clean energy by seeking joint opportunities in other countries and by collaborating on research and development for next-generation reactor technologies. 

The two sides agreed to pursue joint entry into overseas nuclear reactor markets and to expand bilateral cooperation on joint research on nuclear science and technology.