Sharjah 24 – WAM: Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon James Cleverly MP, led the first UK-UAE Strategic Dialogue in London on Monday, 15 May.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed led UAE delegation at the strategic dialogue.

The Strategic Dialogue builds on the visit of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to the UK in September 2021, during which both countries’ leaders signed the ‘Partnership for the Future,’ which serves as a roadmap to drive progress in bilateral cooperation between two nations that have developed a special relationship over decades of close collaboration and historic friendship. The UK is one of the UAE’s most important strategic allies, with the two countries sharing common concerns and interests, and working together to promote regional security, generate economic prosperity, and address pressing global challenges.

During the meeting, the two sides highlighted the strength of the bilateral relationship, noting the breadth of collaboration between the two countries, their shared history, the depth of friendships and people-to-people relations, and enduring commitment to deepening ties. Both sides welcomed the growing partnership across a range of sectors, commending the inaugural Strategic Dialogue as a milestone in the bilateral relationship.

Against the backdrop of the Strategic Dialogue, Abdullah bin Zayed said, “The enduring ties between the UAE and UK—further elevated by the Partnership for the Future— provide a model platform of international cooperation to address the pressing challenges of our time and pursue opportunities that promise to bolster prosperity for our peoples across diverse areas of cooperation, including energy, climate change mitigation, science and technology, security, and people-to-people ties.”

The UAE top diplomat added, “Our two countries share a dynamic vision for the years of development that await. The UAE will continue to work alongside the UK in identifying innovative fields to foster bilateral cooperation and advance our shared values to achieve international peace, security, and growth.”

The two sides concluded their discussions by reiterating their commitment to continuing to engage in close bilateral coordination on political, economic, and security matters and dialogue on issues of regional and international concern.

After the conclusion of the first Strategic Dialogue between the two friendly countries, Sheikh Abdullah presented Cleverly with the shirt of the English club Manchester City.