Seoul: South Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan met with his United Arab Emirates (UAE) counterpart Thursday to discuss expanding cooperation in the artificial intelligence (AI) and energy sectors, Kim's office said.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim met with the UAE Industry Minister Sultan Al Jaber in Seoul to discuss follow-up measures to the leaders' summit between the two countries held in Abu Dhabi in November. During the summit, Korean President Lee Jae Myung and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan agreed to join hands for the UAE's Stargate project, centered on establishing AI computing and cloud infrastructure in the Middle Eastern nation.

Kim noted that Seoul can play a role in the project with its capabilities in the semiconductor, data center, engineering, and construction sectors. The two sides agreed to expand cooperation in the energy sector, acknowledging that the bilateral trade of oil and gas is a core pillar of economic cooperation between Korea and the UAE.

The ministers also discussed expanding the joint oil stockpiling volume between the countries. They noted that the 13-year-old project has contributed to stabilizing the two nations' energy supply chain.