Germany, UAE agree ‘Diplomacy First’ only solution to regional problems: German Ambassador
Abu Dhabi: The official 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 that started on Tuesday is expected to strengthen joint diplomatic efforts to find solutions to several regional and international issues, according to a top German diplomat.
"We (both Germany and the UAE) agree that there are no military solutions to any of the regional problems. Both countries know that ‘Diplomacy First’ is the only way to achieve sustainable peaceful solutions," Ernst Peter Fischer, the German Ambassador to UAE, told the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on Monday.
He said both nations have a close and trustful exchange on all regional foreign policy issues. "German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas was just here (in Abu Dhabi). We agree that all countries should respect international law, multilateral agreements and the sovereignty of their neighbours," Fischer said.
The UAE is Germany's most important trade and investment partner in the Arab world, the ambassador said. "We do an average of EUR10 billion trade annually. In the future, we plan to cooperate more, especially on manufacturing, the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, as well as resource efficiency in energy, water and food and the green economy," he said.
The visit will open a new chapter with more opportunities in the bilateral relations, he added.
"Shaikh Mohamad and Chancellor Angela Merkel plan to outline how we will deepen our partnership in the political, economic and cultural fields. We see great potential for mutual benefit," he said.
The German-UAE bilateral relations have always been strong, Fischer said. "Last year we witnessed an increase in official visits in both directions. Germany is also getting ready for an exciting showing at Expo2020, which will exemplify how our countries can build a prosperous sustainable future together," the diplomat said.
He highlighted the fact that Germany and the Emirates have been closely connected since the foundation of the UAE and the Late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan was a friend of Germany.
