President Lee Myung-bak of the Republic of South Korea decorated here today the Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Naimi of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with the Medal of Excellence for Diplomatic Service, which was awarded to him by the South Korean government as an expression of the depth of the relationship between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of South Korea, and in recognition of the roles being played by the Minister in strengthening this relationship, especially in petroleum fields. The decoration ceremony was held here today at the presidential palace where the South Korean President hosted a luncheon in honor of Minister Al-Naimi and his accompanying delegation. The South Korean President asked Minister Al-Naimi to convey his greetings and best wishes to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and the Crown Prince. There was a discussion between the South Korean President and Minister Al-Naimi, with the participation of the Minister of Knowledge Economy in charge of the energy sector in South Korea, Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade of South Korea, and a number of senior South Korean officials. During the meeting, the two sides discussed the situations of the world oil market, the distinguished bilateral relations in the fields of economy, trade, oil, and environmental issues. The South Korean President thanked the Kingdom for its support to South Korea, to be the headquarters of Environment Fund. For his part, Minister Al-Naimi expressed his thanks to the South Korean government and President Lee Myung-bak for awarding him the medal which expresses the depth of the relationship between the two countries, which becomes closer with the passage of time, especially after the visit of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to the Republic of South Korea in 1998, as well as the presence of South Korean President, as the guest of honor at Janadriyah National Festival for Heritage and Culture last year. --More
