Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Bowardi, Minister of State for Defense Affairs in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Jeong Kyeong-doo, Minister of National Defense of South Korea (photo), discussed the defense cooperation between the UAE and South Korea, during the meeting of the “UAE-Korean Supreme Military Joint Committee” which was held in Seoul Monday.

During the meeting, both sides reviewed the importance of strengthening their defense cooperation while exchanging their opinions on several regional and international issues of common interest, Emirates news agency WAM reported.

Al Bowardi also highlighted the UAE’s keenness to strengthen its strategic relations with South Korea.

The meeting was attended by several senior officers and officials from the Ministry of Defense and the General Command of the Armed Forces, along with a number of officials from the Ministry of Defense of South Korea.

Al Bowardi also visited the Korean Agency for Defense Development (ADD) to affirm the bilateral relations between the UAE and South Korea and their strategic partnership.

ADD is the South Korean national agency for Research and Development (R&D) in defense technology, funded by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.

The agency was established in August 1970 under the banner of the self-reliable defense. Its purpose is contributing to enforcing the national defense, to improving the national R&D capacity, and to fostering the domestic defense industry.

ADD is responsible for first South Korean ballistic missile Nike Hercules Korea-1 aka White/Polar Bear, developed in the 1970s with its first successful test in 1978.

ADD will be the operator of South Korea’s first dedicated military satellite, ANASIS II.