Korean President visits UAE site

Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak Barakah - Arabstoday The President of South Korea, Lee Myung-bak, has paid a visit to the site of UAE's civilian nuclear plant in Barakah. The tour marked the completion of almost a quarter of construction work, with workers nearly eight weeks ahead of schedule. President Myung-bak's trip was part of a two-day state visit to the UAE. His counterpart, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, reaffirmed the deep ties between the two countries. The nuclear project, worth up to 20 billion US dollars is being led by the Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation (Enec) and includes construction of four nuclear reactors at Barakah. Upon completion, planned for the 2020, the facility will be capable of supplying a quarter of Abu Dhabi’s power needs, while greatly reducing the country’s carbon footprint. Muhammad al Hammadi, CEO of ENEC said: “The visit is an important milestone for Enec as it reflects the continued strong support to the program from the leadership of both the UAE and the Republic of Korea.” The two leaders marked a ceremonial groundbreaking at the site by pouring cement in what will eventually be part of the reactor containment building.