UAE, Germany issue joint statement on bilateral relations

BERLIN: The UAE and Germany have reaffirmed their joint commitment to the fight against terrorism and violent extremism, in all its forms, at both regional and international levels.

In a joint statement issued today on the occasion of the visit of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to Germany, the two countries expressed their shared view that terrorism and violent extremism are threats to the international order. They also reiterated their unequivocal rejection of all forms of terrorism, that represents a threat to the international peace and stability, and ensure security cooperation in this regard.

Below is the full text of the statement: Joint Statement on Advancing towards a more comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the UAE and the Federal Republic of Germany on the occasion of the visit to Germany of Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces (12 June 2019) 1) The visit to Berlin by Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed, at the invitation of Federal Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel, taking place in the Year of Tolerance of the UAE, reflects the special bond of friendship and strong partnership between the UAE and the Federal Republic of Germany.

2) For the past 15 years, both countries have been united by a Strategic Partnership that has resulted in close political, social, and economic ties. These relations are built on trust, common interests and the desire to ensure the continued development and prosperity for our regions. This desire is underpinned by the understanding that both countries, as strong, successful and trusting partners engaged in an open and fair dialogue, are committed to the security, stability, and prosperity of their respective regions.

3) Federal Chancellor Dr Angela Merkel and Shaikh Mohammed held in-depth talks on the current security situation in the Gulf, on issues relating to regional security as well as increasing political, economic, humanitarian, and cultural cooperation between the two countries.

4) Building upon the shared successful legacy of the long-standing bilateral ties, both sides are committed to strengthening their strategic partnership, on the 15th anniversary of the agreement, by working towards a more comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This partnership will enable the Federal Republic of Germany and the UAE to examine further fields of interest, including in the areas of (I) Political Cooperation (II) Economic Affairs, (III) Energy (IV) Humanitarian Assistance (V) Culture (VI) Education and (VII) the Environment and Climate Change, in order thereby to raise relations between our two countries to this new level.

I. Political Cooperation 5) The UAE and Germany emphasized their commitment to increasing political dialogue and consultations, and welcome the positive outcomes that have resulted from the appointment of the respective envoys. Both sides identified the importance of holding political consultations regularly. Both sides emphasized the importance of holding these political consultations on a senior level and to increase the frequency of these consultations.

6) Both sides acknowledged joint participation in international security forums, such as the Munich Security Conference, held on 15-17 February 2019 and the Sir Bani Yas Forum due to be held from 15-17 November 2019 in Abu Dhabi and scheduled to host the fifth round of UAE-Germany political consultations.

7) Both sides underlined the importance of intensifying parliamentary visits. In 2018/2019 there have been several visits of members of the German Parliament to the UAE that have shown the merit of fruitful discussions concerning matters of mutual interest at the parliamentary level.

8) Both sides also reaffirmed their joint commitment to the fight against terrorism and violent extremism, in all its forms, at both regional and international levels. They view that terrorism and violent extremism are threats to the international order. The two sides reaffirm their unequivocal rejection of all forms of terrorism, that represents a threat to the international peace and stability, and ensure security cooperation in this regard.

9) The two sides agree on rallying efforts on counter-terrorism issues, exchanging of expertise and information on combating terrorism, and strengthening individual training and capacity-building in that regard. To that end, both sides seek to engage in tangible counter-terrorism cooperation.

10) Both states support the unanimously approved UN Resolution 2462, co-sponsored by the UAE and Germany, requiring Member States to take further steps to prevent and combat terrorism financing and to hold accountable state sponsors of terrorism.

11) Both sides welcomed the many existing common cooperative partnerships between our two countries in the area of security, like the talks between representatives of both armed forces, which take place every 18 months and were last held in Berlin in March 2019. We are keen on fostering our existing bilateral dialogue in this area.

12) Both sides acknowledged their role in playing a stabilising role in their respective regions, along with positive contributions to global affairs. Particular importance is to be ascribed in this regard to multilateralism, international law and rules-based order, and international institutions as a means of addressing joint challenges and achieving peaceful coexistence.

13) Both sides stressed the importance of giving priority to enhancing the efficiency, effectiveness, transparency, accountability and representativeness of the multilateral system and working towards more representative international institutions, including the UN Security Council.

14) Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to upholding the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and the international rules-based order.

15) Both sides will work towards this through expert-level consultations, and intend to establish forums in order to exchange views on key political issues such as Yemen, Iran, Libya and the Sahel.

16) With regard to Yemen, the UAE and Germany strongly encourage a political solution, taking into account the initiative of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and its executive mechanism, the outcomes of the Yemeni National Dialogue Conference and all relevant resolutions of United Nations Security Council (UNSC), in particular UNSC resolution 2216 which calls on the Houthi to refrain from any provocation or threats to neighbouring States .They underline the importance of the implementation of the Stockholm agreement in accordance with UNSC Resolutions 2451 and 2452 and their commitment to this end. Both sides also express their unequivocal support for the ongoing efforts of Martin Griffiths, Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General to Yemen.

Both countries are among the most important donors to the people of Yemen, and are committed to effectively addressing the current humanitarian situation. Germany contributes to the United Nations Mission to support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA) with personnel including military and police.

17) With regard to Iran, both the UAE and Germany expressed concern for growing tensions in the region and call on Iran to play a constructive role and refrain from any escalatory steps. Germany expressed the European/E3 position that the JCPoA is a key achievement of the global nuclear non-proliferation architecture, which is in the security interest of all.

18) Both Germany and the UAE reaffirmed the urgency for all actors in the regions to refrain from any actions that could escalate existing tensions. The UAE and Germany also view that the importance of respecting sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs is essential to guarantee regional security and stability.

19) With regard to Libya, both the UAE and Germany believe that there cannot be a military solution to the conflict, and that UN Envoy Ghassan Salame’s political framework represents the best option to moving beyond the current political crisis. For this a ceasefire is of the essence. Preventing an escalation of the conflict is paramount to the stability of the region and is a priority for the international community as a whole. The fight against terrorism is also a central issue for the future of Libya.

20) Both the UAE and the Federal Republic of Germany are aligned that the Sahel region faces complex political, economic and environmental challenges, particularly with regard to security, development, governance and climate change. We welcome the continued determination of the G5 Sahel States to unite their efforts to address the impact of terrorism and transnational organized crime in the Sahel region. The Federal Republic of Germany and the UAE see a need to strengthen international efforts in support of long-term stabilization of the Sahel region, including infrastructure measures.

21) Both sides stand ready to jointly support Niger in the areas of economic cooperation, infrastructure and security sector reform. Moreover, both sides intend to further support the development of the G5 Sahel Joint Force.

22) The Federal Republic of Germany and the UAE both view that the conflict in Syria cannot be solved by military means. Both sides strongly support the efforts of the United Nations’ Special Envoy Geir Pedersen in pursuit of a political solution to the Syrian crisis and call on all relevant parties to support this.

III. Economic Affairs 23) Both countries stressed the importance of increasing bilateral economic cooperation, by sharing best practices and benchmarks, as well as furthering enhancing trade, investments and business opportunities.

24) The UAE and Germany acknowledged the importance of institutional, regular high-level economic consultations, notably the Joint Economic Commission, 11th Meeting of which was held in Berlin in March 2019. They also note the importance of German Emirati Joint Council for Industry and Commerce (AHK), a bilateral trade institution that seeks to intensify economic ties between the two countries, as well as the establishment of a new private advisory centre for German enterprises in the Free Zone "Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC)" also represented in Dusseldorf in September 2018.

25) Both sides reaffirmed their willingness to encourage business exchanges among small and medium enterprises of the two countries, through the support provided by the incentives of the UAE’s Free-Zones, and the SME Overseas Business Support Platform based in Dubai. Both countries aim to support companies, especially SMEs, in accessing each other’s market by making use of our foreign economic policy instruments.

26) Among the areas that both countries look towards developing further, the development of sectors such as aviation, space exploration, tourism, education, transportation, information technology, energy (traditional and renewable) and healthcare is ongoing and important.

27) Both sides reaffirmed the will to reinvigorate aviation cooperation, which enables more than 600,000 tourists between both countries and the purchase of hundreds of aircraft from manufacturers with a presence in Germany such as Airbus.

28) In parallel, the development of new areas of cooperation into what is termed as ‘the fourth industrial revolution’ to include cyberspace and systems cooperation will set the stage for economic relations in the future. Both sides acknowledge the opportunities for engagement in a bilateral exchange of policy approaches regarding each other’s national Artificial Intelligence (AI) strategies including the UAE October 2017 ‘UAE Strategy for AI’ and the German November 2018 AI Strategy. Both countries aim to work together to share best-practices in this field. In addition, both countries intend to support cooperation among companies and research institutes.

29) UAE and Germany share the view that the digitalisation and linking of production processes along the whole global value chain via the internet offer great economic potential for the economies of both countries. Both countries stress the importance to enhance their bilateral cooperation among companies and between companies and research institutions of both countries in modern technology applications and employing them in achieving sustainable development.

30) Supporting all sectors, cooperation in human capital development through existing institutions as well as public-private partnership is important to achieving synergies and interlinkages to support future economic ties.

31) Both sides reaffirmed the multisector importance of space exploration and cooperation in the field of space exploration exemplified by the signature of a November 2017 Memorandum of Understanding between the UAE Space Agency and the German Aerospace Centre to collaborate on exchanging information and expertise in the fields of space science, research, technology, and regulation.

32) Moreover, under the auspices of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, Germany will be significantly involved in EXPO 2020 in Dubai. The Federal Republic of Germany will be represented with an innovative and forward-looking pavilion, titled ‘CAMPUS GERMANY’. Expo 2020 will be an opportunity to highlight German-Emirati cooperation in building a prosperous and sustainable future for the world.

III. Energy 33) Both countries are committed to expanding their cooperation in the energy sector, with a particular focus on renewable energy and energy efficiency but also conventional sources, in the oil and gas sector across whole value chain, covering the upstream, middle-stream and downstream.

34) Both countries renewed their commitment to the Emirati-German Energy Partnership that was concluded in 2017 to intensify our dialogue in the field of renewable energies and energy efficiency. Both countries are committed to further deployment of renewable energies and increase energy efficiency with a view to meeting the Paris Agreements goals as well as to seizing the socio-economic benefits of renewable energies. Both countries support a global energy transition and also cooperate within the framework of IRENA, headquartered in Abu Dhabi and with its Innovation and Technology Center in Bonn, where it was officially conceived in 2009.

35)The energy cooperation between the two countries has been further strengthened in 2018 when for the first time a German oil and gas company, Wintershall was awarded a stake (10%) in an Abu Dhabi concession area consisting of Hail, Ghasha, Dalma and other offshore sour gas fields.

36) Also, in a continued commitment to the ten-year joint venture between ADNOC and Linde Group of Germany, a memorandum of understanding was signed to explore the expansion of their cooperation. Further steps are planned as the two companies grow together to meet expected demand for industrial gases for ADNOC's downstream businesses in Ruwais, as part of the 2030 smart growth strategy.

IV. Humanitarian Assistance 37) The Federal Republic of Germany and the UAE share a strong commitment to providing humanitarian assistance to people in need worldwide.

38) In light of ever-growing humanitarian needs and based on international humanitarian law and the humanitarian principles both countries will be exploring ways to intensify their bilateral humanitarian cooperation and dialogue.

39) Both sides commit to work for better humanitarian access and the provision of humanitarian services. They underline the responsibility of the international community to ensure that principled humanitarian assistance reaches those most in need.

V. Culture 40) In light of their continued drive to increase the mutual understanding between their two cultures, the Federal Republic of Germany and the UAE are keen to continue strengthening bilateral cultural engagement between their respective societies.

41) Both countries intend to amplify their cultural cooperation, thereby promoting shared values of tolerance, co-existence, and acceptance. Both countries intend to examine possibilities of cooperation in the field of international cultural preservation.

42) Both sides confirmed their willingness to enhance cultural cooperation, especially through an active policy in favour of museums and exhibitions, conduct dialogue on cultural policies, and seek for establishing open spaces for cultural exchange, including in the field of creative industries.

43) Both Germany and the UAE agree that intolerance is one of the key causes of terrorism and violent extremism, and note the importance of intensification of efforts in that regard. To this effect, the UAE Embassy in Berlin, in collaboration with the Apostolic Nunciature to Germany, organised a cultural function on 23 February 2019 observing the declaration of 2019 as the 'Year of Tolerance' and the historic visit by Pope Francis to the UAE. The cultural function supports interfaith dialogue, not only between Muslims and Christians, but also between East and West to accelerate cultural exchange between the followers of all religions. In this framework, the UAE and Germany acknowledge that tolerance, peaceful co-existence, acceptance of others and cultural pluralism and diversity are quintessential global values.

44) The Federal Republic of Germany was delighted to receive an invitation to be the Guest of Honour at the 2021 Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, which will provide an opportunity to engage in an interactive exchange with UAE culture. Germany looks forward to the signing of the respective Memorandum of Understanding during the Frankfurt Book Fair 2019.

VI. Education & Research 45) Both sides emphasise the importance of continuing cooperation in the field of education & research through the support of institutions and universities as well as the exchange of students and the attraction of international students.

VII. Environment and Climate Change 46) Both countries reiterate their commitment to addressing, and mitigating, the global challenges posed by climate change, guided by the implementation of the Paris Agreement, as well as their transition to using low-carbon energy sources, and working towards developing green economies. Both sides are committed to increasing cooperation at the environmental front, in particular with regards to triangular cooperation with third countries.