Abu Dhabi: A visit by US Vice-President Joe Biden to the UAE starting on Monday will be another milestone in bilateral relations of the two nations, official news agency WAM reported.
The UAE-US relations have seen remarkable growth in the light of mutual visits by the leaders of the two countries and rapid expansion of political, economic, trade and military ties. These culminated with the UAE’s full support for the international coalition on counter-terrorism.
Biden’s visit is the second high-profile visit of a top US official after the visit of the former US President George Bush in 2008. The visit is part of a series of high-profile exchanges, the most recent of which was the visit of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, to the US in May last year when he met US President Barack Obama.
The US comes at the top of the list of major countries with which the UAE seeks to strengthen relations and forge partnerships in all fields, given its status as an active international power, especially on Middle East issues, WAM said on Sunday.
Biden’s visit represents another opportunity to discuss regional and international issues; the increasing role of the UAE in the international arena, given its political, economic and humanitarian roles in Arab and international counter-terrorism coalitions; and its provision of humanitarian aid to many areas devastated by terrorist activities, which have caused displacement of peoples.
The visit reflects the increasing international role of the UAE, led by UAE President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. It also consolidates the two nations’ contributions to regional and international peace, as well as boosts cooperation and reinforces their strategic partnership.
While in the US, Shaikh Mohammad took part in the US-GCC Summit at Camp David on May 14, 2015. “The meeting constituted a quality shift in the track of GCC-US relations on one hand, and UAE-US relations on the other, with Washington appreciating the role of the UAE, and its responsible balanced positions in the Middle East and the world,” the agency reported.
The UAE-US relationship has its foundation in a shared commitment to promoting peace and security in the Gulf, joint efforts in counter-terrorism and deterring threats to regional stability. The partnership has become stronger over the years, with exceptional growth in bilateral trade, economic cooperation and cultural partnerships.
Shaikh Mohammad’s visit provided the UAE an opportunity to discuss issues related to regional security and stability; the fight against Daesh, the situation in Yemen, the current developments in both Syria and Libya, and the escalation of extremism and terrorism in the region.
Shaikh Mohammad said: “The UAE, led by President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, attaches great importance to strengthening mutual cooperation with the United States in various fields, so as to achieve the aspirations of the leaders of the two countries and their peoples in accordance with the solid foundations of mutual respect, trust and common interests.”
Over the years, there have been a number of mutual visits between officials of the UAE and the US within the framework of continuous coordination between the two countries on various issues, including the visit of President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to the US in 1998, when he was the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and 10 years later, when former US President, George W. Bush, paid a visit to the UAE as part of his last tour of the region before the end of his term in office.
This visit was very important as it was the first visit of a US President to the UAE since its establishment in 1971. During the visit, former President Bush delivered a lecture at the Emirates Centre for strategic Studies and Research, ECSSR.
The visit was a significant milestone in the overall development of UAE-US relations, which have grown significantly in recent years.
Relations between the two countries — US and UAE — date back to 1971 when the US became the third country to establish diplomatic ties with the UAE. Its embassy in Abu Dhabi was opened in 1974 and since then, bilateral relations have been going from strength to strength in political, security, economic, commercial and military fields.
Mutual interests were evident in security and military cooperation in six military operations, including the first Gulf War in 1991, Kosovo in the late nineteen nineties, Afghanistan in 2003, and the current operations against Daesh, which began in 2014.
The two countries also enjoy robust relations in the economic, aviation and academic fields.
The two UAE and US have adopted identical views regarding several international issues such as the crisis in Syria, the war against Daesh, and the crisis in Yemen.
The UAE and the US maintain strong military cooperation, especially after the second Gulf War and the liberation of Kuwait in 1991.
Economic and commercial relations between the two countries are witnessing steady growth. According to a recent report by the US-UAE Business Council, American exports and direct investments in the UAE have risen significantly.
Trade exchange between the UAE and the US stood at $24.9 billion (Dh91.46 billion) in 2014. The UAE is the largest market for US exports to the Middle East. UAE investments in the US are around $21 billion, while the country hosts more than 1,000 US companies.
