S. Korea, Qatar discuss military ties

The top brass of South Korea and Qatar discussed ways to strengthen military cooperation on Thursday, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, Yonhap News Agency reported. During their talks in Seoul, JCS Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo and his Qatari counterpart Lt. Gen. Salem Bin Hamad Al-Nabit exchanged views on the security situations on the Korean Peninsula and in the Middle East, as well as expanding joint exercises and boosting personnel exchanges, according to the JCS. Al-Nabit also showed interest in South Korean weapons systems and training methods, the JCS said, noting that he will visit Air Force units and local defense companies during his trip to the country. The talks came after Defense Minister Shin Won-sik and his Qatari counterpart Khalid bin Mohamed Al-Attiyah signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen bilateral defense cooperation in Doha in February. Seoul has recently sought to boost military and arms industry ties with countries in the Middle East amid efforts to win major defens e contracts, the report added. Source: Kuwait News Agency