The top diplomats of South Korea and Qatar spoke on the phone on Wednesday to discuss responses to the COVID-19 pandemic and ways to expand the exchange of businesspeople. 

Seoul's Foreign Ministry said that in the talks, Minister Kang Kyung-wha thanked the Qatari government for allowing the entry of Korean businesspeople and providing assistance in the return of South Korean nationals who had been stranded there. 

Kang also called for the Middle Eastern country's continued attention and support in relation to a deal inked last month between Qatar's state oil company and South Korean shipbuilders on the reservation of construction capacity for liquefied natural gas(LNG) vessels.

In response, Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said the two sides could resume personnel exchanges as soon as the number of coronavirus cases in his country slows down.

He added that the LNG deal was a symbolic product in bilateral cooperation in the area. 

The officials also agreed to continue cooperation between the two nations as well as multilateral cooperation at the Group of Friends of Solidarity for Global Health Security at the UN to overcome the coronavirus crisis.