S. Korea discusses defense cooperation with Middle East nations

SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) -- Defense Minister Song Young-moo has discussed cooperation with three Middle East Nations in which South Korean troops are based, the government said Sunday.

The ministry said Song met with Oman Defense Minister Sayyid Badr bin Saud bin Harib Al Busaidi in Muscat on Saturday (local time), with other military leaders from Oman also in attendance. South Korea's Cheonghae Unit, deployed in the Gulf of Aden to counter attacks from pirates, is based in in the country.

According to the South Korean ministry, Sayyid Badr spoke highly of South Korean destroyers and also took great interest in South Korean weaponry, including the K-9 self-propelled howitzer.

Song thanked Oman for its support during the Cheonghae Unit's operation in 2011 to rescue the South Korean freighter Samho Jewelry, which had been captured by Somali pirates.

During his trip, Song also met with high-ranking defense officials in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where South Korea's Akh Unit has been stationed since 2011, and discussed the expansion of the two countries' cooperation in the defense industry.

The tour also took Song to Lebanon, where he met with his Lebanese counterpart Yacoub Sarraf. Lebanon is home to South Korea's Dongmyeong Unit.

A South Korean defense ministry official said Song's visit to the three nations should lead to "tangible benefits" in regards to South Korea's defense industry exports.

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