Abdullah bin Zayed, James Cleverly chair UAE-UK first strategic dialogue

H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and James Cleverly, UK Minister of Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth and Development, chaired the first UAE-UK Strategic Dialogue meeting held in London.

The Strategic Dialogue is one of the outcomes of the visit of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to the United Kingdom in September 2021, during which the leaders of the two countries agreed to establish a partnership for the future, which established a new and ambitious phase of partnership between the UAE and the United Kingdom, during which it was agreed that the foreign ministers of the two countries would co-chair the strategic dialogue.

The UAE delegation participating in the strategic dialogue, headed by His Highness, included Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Diplomatic Advisor to His Highness the President of the UAE, Noura bint Mohammed Al Kaabi, Minister of State, Sultan Al Shamsi, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for International Development Affairs, Saeed Al Hajri, Assistant Minister for Economic and Trade Affairs, Omran Sharaf, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for Science and Advanced Technology, Dr. Maha Barakat, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for Health Affairs, and Ambassador Majid Al Suwaidi, Director General and Representative. Special Presidency of the UAE Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), Mansour Abdullah Khalfan Belhoul, UAE Ambassador to the United Kingdom, and Faisal Issa Lutfi, Assistant Undersecretary for Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

During his meeting with James Cleverly as part of the first strategic dialogue between the UAE and the United Kingdom, Sheikh Abdullah stressed that the well-established relations between the UAE and the United Kingdom, consolidated by the Partnership for the Future, are exemplary for international cooperation to address the pressing challenges of our time, and to seek more opportunities that contribute to enhancing the prosperity of our peoples through various areas of cooperation, including energy, climate change mitigation, science and technology, security, as well as Social and cultural ties, and the UAE and the UK share a dynamic vision that will evolve further in the coming years.

"The UAE will continue to work with the UK in identifying innovative areas to enhance bilateral cooperation and promote shared values to achieve international peace, security and growth," he said.

During the meeting, the two ministers stressed the strength of bilateral relations between the two countries, the depth of cooperation and the joint commitment to consolidate and strengthen it.

They noted the common history between the two countries, the strength of relations between their peoples, welcomed the growing partnership across a number of sectors, and hailed the strategic dialogue as one of the important mechanisms for strengthening bilateral relations.

With regard to international developments of mutual interest, they welcomed the cooperation between the UAE and the UK in multilateral organizations and bodies, and stressed the importance of dialogue and bridge-building to promote regional peace and prosperity.

The two sides discussed the importance of continued coordination in the UN Security Council, and the British side praised the UAE's role in the UN Security Council, especially the recent resolutions adopted by the Council on Afghanistan.

H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and James Cleverly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Commonwealth and Development, also touched on the issue of mitigating the effects of climate change, and affirmed their commitment to combating this phenomenon and cooperating in long-term projects that facilitate a just energy transition, and expressed their desire to strengthen ongoing close cooperation on clean and renewable energy, climate finance, adaptation and the protection of nature and food systems.

The two ministers discussed the UAE's ambitious agenda for the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), which will be hosted by Expo City Dubai this year.

They praised the trade and investment links between the UAE and the UK, and noted the growth in the movement of goods and services between the two countries, which in 2022 reached a high of £21.6 billion (AED 99.3 billion).

The two Ministers also welcomed the success of the Sovereign Investment Partnership signed in 2021 and reaffirmed joint support for expanding trade and investment relations between the two countries in areas of mutual benefit, including through the fourth round of negotiations of the UK-GCC Free Trade Agreement to be hosted by the UK later this year.

In conclusion, H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and James Cleverly reiterated their mutual commitment to continue joint and close coordination on political, economic and security issues, and to exchange views on issues of common regional and international concern.

Sheikh Abdullah presented the Manchester City shirt to James Cleverly and exchanged cordial talks following the first strategic dialogue meeting between the two friendly countries.