ISTANBUL

South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday vowed to enhance ties with Doha during his first phone call with Qatari Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Seoul and Doha “have built a strong foundation of mutual trust over the years, with Qatar serving as a key energy supplier to (South) Korea, and Korea contributing significantly to Qatar's infrastructure development,” Lee said on X after the phone call.

“Our mutually beneficial partnership has recently expanded into a wider range of sectors, such as investment, defense, and the defense industry,” he added.

The Qatari emir and “I have agreed to work hand in hand to further enhance the strong ties between our nations,” Lee said.

He also extended congratulations to Sheikh Tamim on Paris Saint-Germain’s recent triumph in the UEFA Champions League, describing it as “an achievement for a club owned by the Qatari royal family and which is also home to Korean footballer Lee Kang-In.”

“I also hoped that a friendly match between PSG and a Korean football club could be hosted in Korea in the near future,” Lee said.

The geographically distant nations established diplomatic ties in 1974, and the relations have since grown to around $16 billion in annual trade by the end of 2023.

South Korea is the second-largest importer of Qatari LNG, accounting for 19.5% of its annual consumption.