article = '''C O N F I NAME_1 E N T I A L SEOUL 000002 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/K, ISN/NESS, EEB/CBA AND NEA/ARP 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/04/2020 
TAGS: ECON, ENRG, KNNP, PGOV, EINV, ETRD, AE, KS 
SUBJECT: ROK FM NAME_2 ON ROK'S COMPREHENSIVE DEAL WITH UAE 
 
Classified By: Ambassador NAME_1. NAME_3 NAME_4.  Reasons 1.4 (b/NAME_1). 
 
DUPLICATE COPY OF SEOUL MRN 2020. TAGS AND ADDITIONAL 
ADDRESSEES ADDED. 
 
1.  (C) ROK Foreign Minister NAME_5-NAME_6 hosted a 
one-on-one breakfast with NAME_7 on December 30, 
and opened with a long description of the ROK-UAE nuclear 
plant deal.  Other subjects covered in the breakfast will be 
reported septel. 
 
2.  (C) ROK Foreign Minister NAME_5 NAME_6 explained that as 
part of the USD 40 billion nuclear power plant contract 
awarded to Korea earlier this week, the ROK and the UAE have 
also agreed to cooperate in economic and military areas.  The 
economic cooperation will include a wide range of areas such 
as renewable energy and education.  FM NAME_2 said the military 
cooperation agreement is confidential, and does not need to 
be ratified by the National Assembly.  It will, however, 
allow the ROK to provide military-related training to the 
UAE, mostly in Korea itself, and by the use of retired ROK 
military officers in the UAE.  While this part of the ROK-UAE 
is not now public, NAME_2 said over time ROK activities in this 
arena could help to get the Korean public accustomed to the 
notion of greater global engagement by the ROK, including 
militarily. 
3.  (C) Foreign Minister NAME_2 asserted that the UAE,s decision 
to award the USD 40 billion nuclear plant contract to the ROK 
was actually sealed during his trip to the country in 
November; however, the UAE held out for a visit by President 
NAME_8 before making the official announcement.  NAME_2 
explained that the French bid was much higher than (nearly 
double) Korea, and moreover that France "played dirty" by 
casting doubt as to Korea,s quality of work and ability to 
deliver.  NAME_2 said the UAE was eager for military cooperation 
because of its continued "psychology" of threat; although 
UAE,s relations with Iran are currently relatively good. 
4.  (C) As NAME_2 described it, the military collaborative 
agreement (which followed last month,s trip to the UAE by 
Defense Minister NAME_9) is significant, and will 
include defense industry technology exchanges, cooperation on 
military training and support, and exchanges of high-ranking 
military officials.  NAME_2 noted that the UAE already has 
abundant arms and equip