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South Korea seeks Qatar’s help for release of oil tanker seized by Iran 

January 15, 2021 at 12:40 pm

Oil tanker at a port [REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo]

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday that Vice Foreign Minister Choi Jong Kun called on Qatar during his visit on Wednesday to help his country resolve the issue of Iran’s detention of the Korean oil tanker and its crew.

The Yonhap News Agency quoted the ministry as saying that Jong Kun met with senior Qatari officials, including Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi, and agreed with them to continue close bilateral cooperation in the fields of construction, energy and health, as well as on the international and United Nations levels.

The South Korean official asked Doha for maximum support to end Iran’s seizure of the oil tanker, while welcoming the restoration of Qatar’s relations with its neighbourly countries at the recent Gulf Cooperation Council summit in Saudi Arabia.

He also agreed with the Minister of State for Energy Affairs and Deputy Chairman of Qatar Petroleum, Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, during a meeting to maintain bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the fields of energy development and transportation.

The Korean Vice Foreign Minister is scheduled to return home today after a tour that included a visit to Iran.

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