UAE celebrates 43rd National Day

BY CORRESPONDENT

5th December 2014.

Led by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE builds constructive relations with all countries, using these to serve common interests in the cultural, educational, economic, trade, energy and other fields.

Our prudent leadership has emphasised the fixed principles of our foreign policy, as noted by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the opening of the first session of the Federal National Council’s 14th Legislative term.

He said, "Since the establishment of this country, we have been committed in our foreign policy to fixed principles of mutual respect, non-interference in the affairs of others, building relationships that serve interests leaning towards peace and dialogue, as well as commitments to international conventions, following in the footsteps of His Highness the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who has made the human approach an inherent element of the foreign policy of our country."  
Since its establishment, the UAE’s foreign policy has been based upon the principles of peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, respect for the sovereignty of nations and the diligent pursuit of security, stability and peace throughout the world. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has appointed five female ambassadors to Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Montenegro as well as the UAE Representative to the UN in New York.

This confirms the leadership’s support for the role of Emirati women as an integral part of Emirati society, working side-by-side with men in the country's development process, and reaching positions of leadership  and  decision-making.

The UAE now has diplomatic relations with 190 countries, with 69 embassies, 11 consulates and 6 missions overseas, while there are now 99 foreign embassies in the UAE, 75 consulates and 16 offices of regional and international organisations, compared to only three embassies, those of Britain, Pakistan and the USA, when the UAE was first established in 1971. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs encourages other governments to sign bilateral tax agreements and bilateral investment treaties. There are now 124 of these, while the number of Memoranda of Understanding for bilateral air transport agreements now stands at 145.

Foreign aid has been a major part of the external dealings of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which works through its missions abroad and in cooperation with governmental authorities and humanitarian organisations to deliver different forms of financial and humanitarian aid to the needy in many countries in the world through advanced developmental programmes and infrastructure projects.

The late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan laid the foundation for the country’s foreign policy, declaring, "The UAE’s foreign policy aims to support Arab and Muslim issues and interests and strengthen bonds of friendship and cooperation between all countries and populations, as per the Charter of the United Nations and international ethics and conventions.
 

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN