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Abu Dhabi: Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has said that the UAE has taken measures to decrease tensions with Iran, in the interest of building confidence and avoiding confrontation. He made the comments on Monday during the Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate.
“We remain deeply concerned about Iran’s interference in Iraq, Syria and Yemen and have taken steps to de-escalate tensions. We don’t have any interest in confrontation as the region will pay the price for decades to come,” Dr Gargash said.
“We can build together greater confidence between us and make progress for a sustainable status quo. It will be better served for Iran to work co-operatively with its neighbours,” he said.
UAE and other Gulf states have taken a dim view of Iran’s regional expansionism and its interference in the affairs of Arab states, like Lebanon, Yemen, Syria and Iraq.
'Bridges with all countries'
He added: “We are working hard to build communication and bridges with all countries, even those who we have disagreements with.”
Dr Gargash underscored the value of constructive engagement according to a rules-based order, remarking, “Confrontation is not the most productive path, and instead, diplomacy and enhanced communication is the best way forward. Therefore, we are working hard to build communication and bridges with all countries, including those with which we have serious disagreements.”
“This prioritisation of diplomacy and communication over confrontation has also been evident in the Abraham Accords and our subsequent engagement with Israel,” Gargash stated.
Sectarianism
“In almost half of the members of the Arab League, the institutions of the sovereign nation state are seriously challenged by internal conflicts based on sectarianism, failure of governance, and extremism, which are often made worse by external interference,” Gargash continued.
“We cannot stand by and watch these vacuums filled by malign actors. But as the region emerges exhausted from the pandemic and years of conflict, we must further enhance our diplomatic efforts to resolve these issues.
“So recent contributions by the UAE to supporting a difficult transition in Sudan - or addressing the worrying situation in Ethiopia - have been focused on using our relationships and good offices to deescalate, urge dialogue, and avoid a path of confrontation,” Gargash stated.
