Abu Dhabi: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, called on all members of society to stand and pray for the martyrs’ souls on Wednesday.
Shaikh Mohammad made the statement as he chaired the Cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace here on Tuesday in the presence of Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs. The meeting coincides with the UAE marking Commemoration Day and the 45th National Day.
Shaikh Mohammad said: “On Commemoration Day, we will stand in respect for the martyrs’ sacrifices, praying for them. It is thanks to their sacrifices that we are able to carry on the march of the union.”
Shaikh Mohammad described Commemoration Day as the most precious national occasion in which “we renew our determination and oath of allegiance to the UAE and its people”. He said, “Today, we remember the heroics of Emiratis, who are role models for all citizens.” Shaikh Mohammad added that the sacrifices of martyrs in the fields of honour are badges of honour and pride for us all.
The Cabinet also approved the strategic plan for National Identity 2016-2021, which is going to be implemented under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development. The plan seeks to bolster the preservation of national values, heritage and traditions, as well as consolidating values of loyalty to the nation and leadership.
It will also strengthen pride in historical origins, preserving national achievements, in addition to evoking and celebrating the role of the founding fathers. The plan has four dimensions, which include values and norms, national belonging, cultural identity, and heritage and national symbols.
Shaikh Mohammad ordered adding tolerance as a fifth dimension to the plan, so that all dimensions will complement UAE Vision 2021 that aims to make the UAE among the world’s top nations by 2021.
The Cabinet also approved setting up of the National Committee for the World Energy Council, which will work on preparing for the 2019 World Energy Congress in Abu Dhabi.
It approved establishing the UAE Council for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the first of its kind in the world. The council will be chaired by Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future. Council members will include a number of relevant bodies. The council will provide consultations to the government on opportunities, challenges and mechanisms for implementing fourth industrial revolution technologies in strategic sectors. This will help boost the UAE’s economic competitiveness.
The council will also forge global partnerships with governments and leading companies in the private sector in the field of fourth industrial revolution.
The Cabinet approved issuing a resolution on training graduates of medical colleges and others operating in medical profession as pharmacists and medical technicians in private and public sector health-care facilities. The resolution’s goal is to attract medical cadres, which will have a positive impact on medical services and motivate medical colleges operating in the UAE.
The Cabinet also approved setting up a committee to implement Federal Law No. 18 of 2016 on reading. The committee will consist of representatives from relevant bodies. It will be tasked with introducing systems and procedures for following up on the implementation of the National Reading Plan.
UAE-India partnership pact approved
The UAE Cabinet has ratified a strategic partnership between the UAE and India, which aims to bolster the strategic relations between the two countries and promote mutual dialogue.
The agreement will increase levels of bilateral relations in various fields and areas of cooperation to strategic levels. The agreement will foster a number of joint initiatives, such as periodically organising strategic dialogues, holding meetings to monitor cooperation programmes, exchanging visits between officials, developing medium and long-term policies for forging closer partnerships and joint investment programmes.
Multifaceted bilateral relations between the UAE and India received a further boost in the past year following the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the country in August 2015, and a three-day first state visit by His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to India in February this year.
It was during the visit of Shaikh Mohammad that the UAE and India agreed to elevate their decades-old friendly relations to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership. The two nations also signed nine wide-ranging agreements in February, covering issues as diverse as cyber security, space research and insurance to cultural exchange and bilateral currency swap.
Shaikh Mohammad, who will also be the chief guest for India’s Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi on January 26 next year, said during his visit in February that the most critical element which characterises UAE-India relations is that the shared relations go beyond the political and economic aspects to include a special cultural bond.
While the UAE’s investments in India has increased to nearly $1 billion over the past year, the UAE and India last year agreed to further strengthen their cooperation in several key areas, including trade and investment, petrochemicals, security, counter-terrorism, joint defence production, space cooperation, IT and electronics. The two countries also set up the UAE-India Infrastructure Investment Fund during Modi’s visit to the UAE.
