It gives me great pleasure to send best wishes to all the people of the United Arab Emirates as they celebrate their 40th national day. The UAE has a lot to be proud of. In the early seventies the UAE was a small nation that dared to dream big. Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan's vision turned this dream into a reality.
Today the UAE is a thriving and vibrant union with a proud heritage and a bright future.
The UAE's achievements over the last four decades are a source of admiration in Britain. The UAE has built bridges with many nations across the world and in the United Kingdom we greatly value our ties with your nation.
Our Treaty of Friendship signed in 1971 declared that the UAE and the UK would consult each other, promote educational, scientific and cultural cooperation and build close trade relations. Forty years on our practical cooperation and bond of friendship have never been stronger.
In 2010 our Prime Minister David Cameron launched the Gulf Initiative committing the UK to expanding our co-operation with the Gulf states. Our relationship with the UAE is a central part of this initiative.
Collaborative engagement
With that in mind our prime minister made an early visit to the UAE to establish the UK-UAE Task Force with General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
The Task Force has already established a CEO Forum to strengthen commercial links and encourage the growth of business between the two countries; held a joint development seminar which focused on international aid and allowed the countries to share best practices and potential ideas for collaborative engagement; signed an important agreement on nuclear cooperation in November 2010; and lifted visa requirements for holders of diplomatic and official passports when travelling on official business.
The visit by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth to the UAE in November last year set the seal on our new ways of working together; reinforced by the visits of Shaikh Mohammad and Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to the UK in October this year.
The ties between our nations draw strength from the links between our people, ranging from our thriving educational and tourism links to our growing investment in each other's economies.
Emirati investment in Manchester City is turning the club into one of the world's great football teams, and we welcome too its investment in ‘the London Array', an exciting new project to build the world's largest offshore wind farm; and DP World's construction of the UK's largest port. For our part we are proud that British nationals have been involved in iconic projects like the Burj Khalifa and Abu Dhabi Formula One; that the UK companies like BP and Shell have worked with Abu Dhabi for more than 70 years and that Rolls-Royce turbines have powered Abu Dhabi oil production since 1973.
UK expertise contributed to the magnificent Shaikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Dubai Metro and UAE's iconic Expo Pavilion in Shanghai.
Common interests
Our two countries have strong interests which give great scope for working together in the future, whether it is in trade and investment, in future energy needs or to support our common security.
As Foreign Secretary, I particularly value our cooperation in foreign policy. We have been strong partners in averting the loss of life in Libya. Together, we are supporting the GCC's efforts to bring peace and stability in Yemen.
In Syria we are working with other nations alongside the Arab League to continue increasing pressure on the regime for a better future for the Syrian people.
And in June Shaikh Abdullah and I made a historic joint visit to Afghanistan, demonstrating our cooperation and commitment to the stability of that country.
Britain and the UAE will not always agree on every issue in foreign policy. But our common interests and grounds for practical cooperation are far greater. Our British government will work to strengthen our ties in the coming years.
So I congratulate all Emiratis on what their nation has achieved as they celebrate this anniversary; reaffirm the friendship between our nations and look forward to even stronger partnership in the years to come.
Special to Gulf News
