Cabinet lauds poll transparency

Abu Dhabi: The Cabinet has praised the success of the Federal National Council elections that concluded on December 20.

It said the country's first-ever polls, on December 16, 18 and 20, were conducted in a transparent manner and a high sense of national responsibility from members of the electoral colleges.

His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, lauded the sincere efforts of the National Elections Committee (NEC), which was chaired by Dr. Anwar Mohammad Gargash, Minister of State for Federal National Council (FNC) Affairs.

He was speaking during the Cabinet's weekly meeting yesterday. The Cabinet reviewed the NEC report on the results of the FNC elections.

The meeting took note of a report by the Foreign Ministry on a tit-for-tat policy between the UAE and some foreign countries in regards to treatment of UAE citizens. The Cabinet assigned the Foreign Ministry to take appropriate measures to put the formula in place on citizens of foreign countries, especially Europeans, who still ignore UAE applications for visas for tourism, study and medical treatment.

Decisions

Approving a draft law, the ministers agreed to increase the government's contribution in the capital of the Emirates Development Bank.

The council gave its green light to a number of agreements signed by the UAE, including two bilateral treaties on extradition and on mutual legal assistance with the UK, an agreement on trade, economic and customs cooperation with Pakistan, an agreement on encouragement of investment and avoidance of double taxation with Azerbaijan and an agreement for avoidance of double taxation with Bosnia.