President Lee Myung-bak and First Lady Kim Yoon-ok departed on Saturday for a visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

During his visit, Lee will meet with UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss the development of their bilateral partnership and ways to expand economic and energy cooperation.

Lee will also attend a groundbreaking ceremony for a Korean-style nuclear power plant project in Braka, located 300 kilometers west of Abu Dhabi.

Lee will tour the plant site and observe progress in the construction of breakwaters.

Before his departure Saturday, Lee was briefed on the Japanese earthquake. On Friday, he pledged to extend Seoul’s full assistance to the quake-devastated nation. He ordered the government to do its utmost to assist in recovery efforts, calling the situation “tragic.”