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Focus on strategic partnership

Security and stability of the Gulf, trade and strategic investments figured prominently during talks between the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and British Prime Minister David Cameron at 10 Downing Street on Wednesday.

Cameron was all praise for the UAE’s role as a beacon of stability in the region and the leaders discussed ways to boost bilateral economic ties across sectors.

Trade and alternative energy, health, education and strategic partnerships were reviewed and the two leaders agreed that more could be done for the people of both countries.

The UAE is keen on enhancing strategic economic ties with the United Kingdom and joint projects would contribute to achieving higher growth rates, Shaikh Khalifa said.

They also exchanged views on the latest developments in the Middle East and the concerted efforts being exerted by all international parties to restore security and stability in the region.

The UAE President stressed the desire of the UAE to achieve comprehensive peace in the region. He added that the UAE is one of the countries in the region with a balanced and wise policy, based on strategic objectives, this being followed by others.

Shaikh Khalifa and Cameron also discussed bilateral cooperation in a number of areas, especially relating to the economy and investment, in the light of the expanding economic relations between the two countries, particularly in the sectors of industry, trade, renewable energy, healthcare, education, defence and other areas.

The President said that the UAE is looking forward to the development of the strategic economic relationship with Britain, through joint, sustainable investment projects, that could contribute to a raising of the rate of growth in bilateral trade and investment.

Government communication channels must be pro-active to boost private trade and investment, Cameron said during the meeting.

“This visit has made a deep impact on myself and will have significant results in the development of relations between our two countries and our two peoples,” Shaikh Khalif said and thanked the people of the United Kingdom for its hospitality during his two-day visit.

A statement issued by the Prime Minister’s office after the meeting said that Cameron had described the State Visit as “a mark of the lasting and strategic importance to Britain of our relationship with the UAE”.

It added that “the two leaders agreed that the relationship had developed significantly in the last year, especially building a deeper and substantive defence partnership and significant new commercial links. They discussed the action that the international community should take on the most pressing issues in the Gulf and wider region, including to address the challenge of Iran’s nuclear programme, to end the appalling and dangerous conflict in Syria, and to bring new momentum to the peace process between Israel and Palestine. They agreed on the need for further support to stabilisation and development in Somalia at the London conference next week,” it said.

“The two leaders agreed to continue close engagement between the two Governments on important issues in the relationship,” it concluded.

Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs; Shaikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of Court of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi; Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister; Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Emirates Group; Ahmed Juma Al Zaabi, Deputy Minister of Presidential Affairs; Abdul Rahman Ghanem Al Mutaiwee, UAE Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Dominique Jeremy, ambassador to the United Kingdom and a number of senior British officials in the government attended the meeting.

Shaikh Khalifa later visited Westminster Abbey where he laid a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Soldier.

The President, who was met on arrival at the Abbey by the Duke of York, was received at the Abbey door by the Very Reverend Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster, who presented to him the Canons of Westminster, officials of the Abbey.

The Abbey, close to the Houses of Parliament, is the place of coronation and burial of British monarchs.

The President was then conducted to the Grave of the Unknown Warrior by the Dean, where he laid the wreath.

Shaikh Khalifa was accompanied by two members of the UAE Armed Forces, Second Lieutenant Moza Al Nueimi, the first female Emirati cadet to graduate from Britain’s Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst, and First Lieutenant Hamad Al Amiry, also a Sandhurst graduate and a veteran of the Emirati military mission in Afghanistan.

Following the saying of prayers by the Dean, the President was then escorted on a short tour of the Abbey.

Shaikh Khalifa then signed the Abbey’s Distinguished Visitors’ Book, saying: “We in the United Arab Emirates value the lives of those who have sacrificed themselves for their country. The love of country and to sacrifice for it is the aim of everyone who seeks to protect his country.”

He also met Prince Charles at Clarence House in the evening. Prince Charles welcomed Shaikh Khalifa and his accompanying delegation, praising the deep and historic relations between the UAE and Britain. He said that these are supported by the leaderships of both countries.

He added that the President’s state visit represented an important stage in the history of the relationship.

During their cordial talks, the two exchanged views on the relationship and on how it could be strengthened.

Prince Charles then showed Shaikh Khalifa special displays of the work of the Prince’s School for Traditional Arts and the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies.

Shaikh Khalifa told Prince Charles that the United Arab Emirates was desirous of ensuring that the people of the UAE were made aware of the tolerance and moderation to be found in the essential concepts of Islam, far removed from any extremism.

He noted that the message of Islam calls for love and peace and for the avoiding of hatred and enmity.

Shaikh Khalifa and Prince Charles then took tea in the Garden Room of Clarence House, together with the Prince’s wife, the Duchess of Cornwall, and the accompanying delegation.

Both Shaikh Khalifa and Prince Charles expressed the view that the President’s visit would have a positive impact of the developing relationship between the two countries and peoples.

Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah and British Foreign Secretary William Hague earlier signed two memoranda of understanding on the creation of a Dialogue of Values and Qualification of Frameworks.

The Dialogue of Values will be supervised by the UAE-UK Taskforce, jointly chaired by Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and Alistair Burt, British Parliamentary Under Secretary for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. Its first meeting will be held this month and other meetings at six-monthly intervals. The discussions will strengthen cultural and political understanding between the UAE and the UK, as well as exploring the developments in the Middle East and North Africa.

Under the terms of the memorandum on qualifications, the two sides will prepare a list on the quality institutions in both countries to promote understanding and achieve partnership and ensure quality.

malzarooni@khaleejtimes.com