UAE | Government

UAE extends friendship to the world

The foreign policy of the UAE, since it was founded in 1971, has been based on wisdom, moderation, balanced and support for righteousness and justice through dialogue and understanding with sister and friendly countries.

  • WAM
  • Published: 23:27 November 27, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • Princess Haya Bint Al Hussain, wife of Shaikh Mohammad, visited children at Gems World Academy yesterday in celebration of the UAE's 37th National Day.
  • Image Credit: Supplied picture

Abu Dhabi: The foreign policy of the UAE, since it was founded in 1971, has been based on wisdom, moderation, balanced and support for righteousness and justice through dialogue and understanding with sister and friendly countries.

It is also based on respect for international agreements and UN Charter, good neighbourliness, sovereignty and integrity of countries, non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries and solving of disputes by peaceful means.

These are the principles President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan outlined when he addressed UAE ambassadors and diplomats during a meeting he held with them in September.

He pointed out that although the UAE is committed to an open-door policy with the outside world, it does not mean the country abandons its responsibilities of supporting just causes on the international arena.

In his address to UAE diplomats, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, said the UAE stretches its hand of generosity and peace to all countries and peoples of the world and continues to build bridges of love and friendship between the UAE people and other peoples of the world.

Commitment

The UAE, being one of the founders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), remains committed to boosting and entrenching cooperation among member countries.

Shaikh Khalifa has pledged to continue to work closely with his brethren, leaders of other member countries, to enhance joint GCC actions and to boost the Council's effectiveness by strengthening its political, economic, security and social integration.

The UAE, together with other GCC and Arab countries, continue to work closely in support of diplomatic efforts being made to contain areas of tension and conflicts in the Middle East, including the Arab Gulf region.

In line with its belief in dialogue as the best means of resolving problems and conflicts between countries, the UAE continues to handle with great wisdom the issue of its three islands, Abu Mousa, the Greater and Lesser Tunbs, being occupied by Iran since 1971.

Shaikh Khalifa has urged Iran to respond positively to the UAE's peaceful overtures to resolve the issue.

Meanwhile, Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister, urged the international community to call on Iran to respond positively to the sincere calls of the UAE, the GCC and Arab League to accept to resolve this issue through serious direct negotiations or international arbitration at the International Court of Justice.

On the Iraq issue, the UAE was among the first countries to reach out to the war-torn country and its people to help them overcome their plight. The UAE continues to support the political process in and reconstruction of Iraq, while looking on with hope at the efforts being made by the Iraqi government to achieve national unity and to consolidate security and stability in the country.

The UAE strongly believes that settling Middle Eastern issues cannot be done by imposing status quo of occupation and building of colonies and besieging the Palestinian people.

The UAE also believes that the continuous Israeli aggression will rather aggravate violence leading to explosive security situation not only in the areas under Israeli occupation but also in the entire Middle East.

In a recent address to the UN General Assembly, Shaikh Abdullah renewed the UAE's call to the UN to ensure a Middle East free from weapons of mass destruction and this entails calling on Israel to respect and implement all UN resolutions, which demanded that Israel open its nuclear installations for inspection and unconditionally ratify the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, as done by other countries in the region.

Festivities

The National Day celebrations will extend from 1 - 4 December. The highlight of the festivities in Dubai will be a Union March on 1 December, led by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai. Other festivities include a Marine Parade on December 2 at Dubai Creek, poetry nights at Al Shindagah and a Sky Carnival on the Dubai-Hatta road. Other events will be organised throughout the UAE between December 1 and 4 in shopping malls and recreational parks.

Classic car owners from across the UAE will display a sparkling collection of vehicles dating back to the 1920s during a special event being staged in Sharjah and Dubai.

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