SEOUL: South Korea and a group of governments from the Middle East and Africa launched a cooperative organization Monday aimed at enhancing political, cultural and economic ties, officials said. The Korea-Arab Society groups South Korea with governments, corporations and organizations from 22 countries and authorities in the Arab world. Participants at a conference in Seoul approved its establishment, said Lee Key-cheol, an official at South Korea s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. President Omar Al-Bashir of Sudan and President Ismael Omar Guelleh of Djibouti delivered speeches at the opening ceremony. South Korea has been active economically in the Middle East for decades, with its construction companies in particular having played a big role. Lee was formerly the CEO of a major South Korean construction and engineering company with interests in the region. The resource-poor country is heavily dependent on oil imports and has been intensifying what it calls energy diplomacy to secure stable supplies amid a scramble by Asian neighbors China, India and Japan to so the same amid rising prices. Earlier this month, South Korean Prime Minister Han Seung-soo embarked on a tour of resource-rich states in Central Asia to drum up business deals and enhance ties. Lee s predecessor, Roh Moo-hyun, visited Algeria, Egypt and Nigeria in 2006. Han and Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan attended Monday s ceremony, highlighting the emphasis South Korea places on ties with the region. "Arab countries are very important to us, Han said on the sidelines of the conference. He added that South Korea wants to share its "development experience with them and offer human and technological resources. The society has as one of its objectives "creating more economic and trade opportunities in the private sector, according to a draft of the group's statutes. Details, such as the naming of a board and formal registration of the group, were expected as early as next month. Other members are: Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, Somalia, Syria, Mauritania, the Palestinian Authority, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Comoros, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Yemen, Jordan, Morocco, Tunisia and Libya. Separately, Al-Bashir met South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, who expressed hope for the quick stabilization of the political situation in Sudan and pledged to increase aid. According to the presidential Blue House, Lee told Al-Bashir that he supports international efforts to bring peace to Sudan. Ethnic Africans in Sudan s Darfur region began fighting the Arab-dominated government in 2003, citing discrimination. The UN says the conflict has killed up to 300,000 people and forced 2.5 million from their homes. The Sudanese president thanked Seoul for its aid, which stands at $3.9 this year. Lee promised to increase assistance, the Blue House said in a statement posted on its Web site. It did not cite any figure for the additional aid. - Kwang-tae Kim contributed to this report.
