Riyadh: There is great scope and opportunity for GCC-US relations in light of “significant changes” in the past years regionally and internationally, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has said while attending a GCC-US summit in Riyadh.
Given the UAE’s long history of interaction and cooperation with the United States, he added that the two countries held a great mutual respect for one another and naturally shared a vision on regional and international issues.
“This summit reflects the importance of GCC states regionally and internationally and their pivotal and influential role in dealing with various issues and crises through cooperating with global allies and friends including the US.
It highlights the importance of the Gulf region in the eyes of the US administration which takes a genuine interest in GCC leaders’ views about the Middle East and the world,” Shaikh Mohammad noted.
The summit is being held at very critical time when the region is engulfed in “complicated situations”, he added.
Such times present a unique opportunity for the Gulf and the US to exchange views on several key regional issues including Gulf security, terrorism, Iranian intervention in the region as well as the Palestinian-Israeli stalled peace process.
Shaikh Mohammad pointed out the UAE’s key role in the GCC-US dialogue given its strong relations with the US and the respect it has gained regionally and globally and for being an indispensable player in the region.
Shaikh Mohammad extended his appreciation to Saudi King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz for his relentless work in coordinating joint GCC action against threats to Arab national security as well as for wisely dealing with regional crises.
A high-level delegation, including Shaikh Tahnoun Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Adviser; Shaikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs; Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and other senior officials accompanied Shaikh Mohammad to the summit.
