Abu Dhabi: In an address to the nation on the occasion of the 38th National Day of UAE, President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, stressed that the leadership and the UAE people are confident to continue steadily and consistently the implementation of what have been adopted in terms of the strategies and plans.
In a statement to Nation Shield Magzine, he said: "The huge achievements attained were not the end in themselves, but the top priority was and still to build national capacity and launch human energy directed toward the horizons of excellence, innovation and competition".
Shaikh Khalifa underscored that the transformations experienced by the UAE economy, do not come from a vacuum, but through the regulations and standards to establish a new economic model, based on the philosophy and practices of community-based components.
"We would like to assure everyone that our country is stronger and better off, since our economy is fine and our society enjoys welfare. The global financial crisis on its severity will not be a reason for hesitation or retreat, not a justification to lead us to a despair or inaction," he added.
Full text of the speech
“On this great day, I offer you my sincere congratulations as you celebrate the 38th anniversary of the unification of our country, the Declaration of our union, and the founding of the nation. On your behalf, I appreciate deeply Their Highnesses Supreme Council Members and Rulers of the Emirates, who lead the triumphant march to instill the principles of justice, equality and equal opportunities.
It is a great event through which we get inspiration and entertain patriotic meanings and lessons. We evaluate the present process, reflect on the visions of future, derive strength and determination to move in the course and vision outlined by the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and his late brothers. They would remain as role models.
Dear Citizens, on this occasion, we would like to assure everyone that our country is stronger and better off, since our economy is fine and our society enjoys welfare. The global financial crisis on its severity will not be a reason for hesitation or retreat, not a justification to lead us to a despair or inaction. We are confident that our people and the sources of our strength will continue steadily and consistently in implementing what we have adopted in terms of the strategies and plans.
We will continue to ply with confidence and optimism the national capacity, and solid economy.
We are grateful to God for endowing us with strong national economy and sound policies to overcome the most difficult stage of the crisis. The economic indicators of the growth in most sectors started to grow up gradually, beginning from the last quarter of this year.
In regard to continuing infrastructure development of the national economy, which highlights the economic boom of our country, we issued this year, the laws and regulations to support the national economy, investment promotion, regulation of credit, and other efforts to support the planning, scientific research. More laws were issued, among others, a law establishing the National Centre for Statistics, to streamline planning and scientific research efforts.
The transformations experienced by our economy, do not come from a vacuum, but through the regulations and standards to establish a new economic model, based on the philosophy and practices of community-based components of reality. This model is able to move us from the stage of gradual labour-intensive to a new stage, strong industry and the high-tech, capital-intensive, knowledge-based on advanced technology, environmental awareness to preserve the nation and protect the identity and increase availability of real jobs for our children.
The success of the new economic model, requires from us a comprehensive clear vision, the order of priorities, continuation of the economic policies, finance, credit, policies governing the labour market, emphasising the unity of the market across the nation, link of education and training policies to the labour market, activation of emiratisation and replacement policy, efforts to modernize the management of the economy, and infrastructure development in less developed regions and improve the services.
Distinguished citizens, five years later on the post of the Head of State, strategies have been set, legislations have been further developed, more factories have been established, roads paved, more universities opened. Those achievements were not the end in themselves, but the top priority was and still to build national capacity and launch national human energy directed toward the horizons of excellence, innovation, and competition.
In the light of demographic reality, we are aware of its dimensions and cultural openness in which we live its effects, the activation of national human resource energy, is a condition of survival, strength and purpose and the security – a priority that requires us to work on several fronts, the most pressing current need being to deepen concept of the family, the revitalisation of its central role in the upbringing, education, monitoring and control. The family is the backbone of society, where young people learn compassion, solidarity and patriotism, including absorbing ethics and values, represented by traditions and customs of the community.
Empowerment of the family, promotion of stability, maintenance of the social fabric and protection of its integrity, are of utmost importance and priority. They require first attention, and secondly hard work to launch initiatives and projects to be shared by all institutions of society. Such responsibility is greater than the government alone. Hence, we declare our support for each absolute effort to revive the original practices, first and foremost the promotion of community cohesion, including deepening of the family cohesion values, social solidarity, and community partnership.
In parallel with this effort, more initiatives must be put forward to mobilise the national capacities of young people, upgrade their capabilities, prevent wastage, and immune them against the current cultural invasion. The initiatives should stir in them the values of work, the principles of moderation, and put young people at the heart of the development process. The social development that we seek will not be achieved without activating the forces of society to restart idle capacity, integrate people with special needs, guide educational institutions and information through making them real pulse of the community.
The empowerment of women confirms our absolute confidence in their capabilities, being genuine actors in all areas of work. They have displayed their experience, efficiency and capacity in all functions and responsibilities.
The future that we look forward to is not just hopes and aspirations, but a collective set of advanced practices: a safe, meaningful development, high-quality education level, quality services, adequate housing, universal healthcare, a sustainable environment, establishment of institutions of justice and security, development system of community assets, increase of potential and quality of outputs, practices to safeguard the identity and uphold the technical and vocational education.
Work is a true criterion of citizenship. It is evidence of sincerity and loyalty. We all share the responsibility of building this country, protect its sovereignty and safeguard the gains.
Brothers and Sisters, the economic efficiency, social competence, and efficiency of political practices, differentiate the UAE. We say with confidence that we will pursue the development of our capabilities, modernise our institutions, restructure practices in order to achieve our aspirations to live in a society, where justice and law prevail and in a state devoted to the values of integrity, accountability, transparency, rights, freedoms and respect, promote thinking and analysis, creativity, and encourage dialogue, expression of opinion, participation in decision-making as per devotion to the values of loyalty and belonging to the homeland, preserve the prestige and sovereignty of the state, and national security and safety.
Thanks to the competence, love of God, our country's security and stability, endowed wealth, integrated infrastructure and quality services, the UAE turned into the world's renowned destination for tourism, investment and business management, the interface of choice for hosting major cultural events, artistic and sports in the world.
When it comes to foreign policy of our country, we still raise our flags on our principles of peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, balance, alignment appraisers Gulf, Arab and Islamic world and beyond our legitimate right to the three occupied islands, "the Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Mousa." Despite the persistence of the Islamic Republic of Iran's failure to comply with peace efforts, we still insist on precedence of logic of cooperation, and distancing the issue of any other conflicts. There is no other way for the parties to solve the problem except through direct bilateral negotiations or international arbitration, including opportunities to enhance security and stability in the region.
In this respect, we value the positions of all countries, and organisations that have supported our quest to make the Abu Dhabi headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency "Irena". It is an achievement that confirms soundness of our choices and approaches. It also reflects established relations of mutual respect and bonds of brotherhood and friendship in the international community and regional levels, and most importantly, it confirms the ability and efficiency of our diplomacy. Our nation will not be just the headquarters of the of the Irena, but the leader of the Green Revolution and an active partner in the research, development, and development of innovative solutions for renewable energy, promising applications, which will be plenty of room for investment, especially after the state-set target to be 7% of its energy-consuming sources clean.
Our interest in renewable energy is inseparable from our project to develop a peaceful programme of nuclear energy to meet our growing energy future model development based on the highest standards of transparency, safety and nuclear security and international laws, in full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, and with expertise in this respect.
In order to effectuate this commitment, we issued a decree last October on the peaceful uses of energy. The Council of Ministers issued a decree to form the Board of Directors of the Federal Nuclear Control to be responsible for the implementation of that law.
The model we have adopted is consistent with our support and conformity to Non-Proliferation Treaty, and our rejection in principle to the existence of weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, calling on Israel to dismantle its nuclear facilities, military and join the Non-Proliferation Treaty and subject its nuclear facilities to international inspections.
We also urge Iran to continue cooperation with the international community to allay fears and doubts about the nature of its nuclear programme. We call on the parties concerned to reach a peaceful agreement on this file to ensure the security and stability in the region and its peoples.
On this day, we express our full satisfaction of our positive diplomacy in the international and regional forums in defence of the national interests, options, support for just causes, especially the right of the Palestinian people to regain their rights and establish their own independent State and support the initiatives that aim at establishing security and stability in Iraq, Lebanon, Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, Afghanistan and elsewhere, and in support of efforts to achieve security of the Gulf Arab countries and promoting Middle East peace talks and achieving Arab food security.
The Palestinian cause is our cause and our suffering is the suffering of the Palestinians. We call on all factions to overcome differences and unite, seizing the prospects for peace to realise aspiration of their people in security, stability and decent living.
We call for serious move to protect Al Aqsa Mosque and the city of Jerusalem from settlement project that seeks to Judaize the Holy City and to obliterate its identity. We urge the United States, the Quartet and the international community to exert maximum pressure to force Israel to comply with the resolutions of international legitimacy, the application of the Fourth Geneva Convention, the implementation of the roadmap plan benefits, full cessation of settlement activities, stop the incursions, and lift the siege on the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip as a prelude to the start of serious peace negotiations, leading to the end of the occupation of all the occupied territories and lead the Palestinian people to self-determination in an independent state, with its capital in East Jerusalem.
We have proved the objectivity of our approach over the past decades, and will continue it. We will maintain a balanced foreign policy, taking an open way, the principle of friendship and the interests of the state as target. The Foreign policy purpose is to maintain sovereignty of the State, protect the security and its existence, taking neighbours as friends and partners, seeking strengthening of cooperation with Arab Gulf States, Arab and Islamic countries, and the economic blocs. We confirm our belief in the absolute necessity and importance of the Cooperation Council of Arab Gulf states, and its political, security and economic significance. We will work hard to fulfill our role in advancing this career, and activate its system and comply with its decisions. We look forward to participating at the GCC summit to be hosted by Kuwait this month. We stress the continuation of efforts towards a regional peace, stability and mutual trust, gains, offering assistance to all brothers and friends, standing alongside the legitimate rights of nations and peoples, supporting UN efforts, and regional levels to counter terrorism and extremism and international efforts to resolve conflicts and hotbeds of tension, and contribute to more just and equitable international.
Dear citizens, you are the home and trust. We have to preserve our Union, defend our identity and protect our nation. We draw our strength from your determination.
I appreciate my brother, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai and the Council of Ministers, who face every morning challenges, but plan and remove all obstacles to score achievements.
I pay tribute to the UAE Army officers, non-commissioned officers and personnel, police departments, and various security authorities, who persevere and bled in defence of nation and gains. We reiterate the continued support of these forces, departments and agencies to update them with weapons, equipment, to remain as a model and an example of efficiency and professionalism.
We appreciate the contribution of the residents from the sisterly and friendly countries in the process of development."
