ID :
405713
Tue, 05/03/2016 - 10:25
Auther :

At the end of joint committee meeting, UAE and Qatar affirm commitment to continuing mutual consultation and coordination towards bilateral issues, regional and global challenges

DOHA, 3rd May, 2016 (WAM): UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, said meetings of the sixth session of the UAE-Qatar joint higher ministerial committee were fruitful and successful, affirming the commitment of the two countries to continue their efforts to further solidify their historic, fraternal bilateral ties and coordinate joint stances on various international issues of mutual concern. ''The UAE and Qatar need to work together to take our bilateral ties into a future that is more solid and deeper,'' Sheikh Abdullah said in a joint press conference with Qatari foreign minister at the conclusion of the two-day meetings of the committee in Doha. H.H. said his talks today with His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, had touched on joint co-operation in renewable energy, stressing the need for harnessing huge resources to develop that co-operation in view of the low cost involved and the emergence of new innovations. Co-operation in such a field, he noted, promises the possibility of broadening of relations between the two countries, pointing to the series of agreements and memoranda of understanding they signed yesterday. H.H. expressed his hope for continuous joint work towards a better and increasingly developing and beneficial ties at all levels. He stated that there are diverse areas for joint co-operation, including regular exchange of views on a variety of international matters. Speaking about challenges facing the region, the UAE minister said, ''They can't be isolated from the overall challenges we are currently facing. For that, the UAE and Qatar are working together under the GCC or Arab League umbrella to address them.'' Regarding Qatar's nomination for the post of director general of the UNESCO, H.H. said, ''Mutual support is always there, whether at the bilateral level or within the GCC, which issued a statement supporting the Qatari nominee.'' Turning to the latest developments in Syria, Sheikh Abdullah said, ''Both Doha and Abu Dhabi have issued statements regarding the situation in Syria, affirming that the dispute can't be solved through statements and there is an urgent need for action given the tragic situation that requires serious action on the part of the UN Security Council and the Vienna Group.'' H.H. affirmed that challenges facing the region - including terrorism - couldn't be addressed without solving political problems in Damascus and Baghdad. On Libya, H.H. said, ''The UAE and Qatar were at the forefront of countries which supported the Libyan people through the GCC or Arab League when they faced Gaddafi. We also demanded the Security Council to provide protection for the Libyan people.'' ''However, we hit a snag in Libya when the international community abandoned the Libyan issue before the situation became stable as the Libyans engaged hurriedly into the political process before achieving stability and finding proper mechanisms to ensure the success of the political process.'' The UAE and Qatar, H.H. underscored, would continue their contacts with all stakeholders across the Libyan political spectrum to create an environment conducive for working under the umbrella of the Government of National Accord. Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said that the two-day meetings were successful, adding that they ended with signing a number of cooperation agreements which promote the links between the two brotherly nations. He pointed that the two sides have inked agreements in the fields of culture, organising fairs, tourism, youth and developing small and medium enterprises (SMEs), expressing hope to seeing the results of this session on the ground and to strengthen and deepen the two brotherly peoples' ties. The foreign minister said he had discussed with his UAE counterpart all the regional issues and challenges, adding he is looking forward to the continuation of such fraternal meetings between the two countries. He said that political dialogue was on the agenda of the committee meetings. Views on regional issues were exchanged, he said adding that talks also dealt with the two countries relations in the international organisations and continuing consultations in all international forums. He stated that he had exchanged views and thoroughly discussed major regional issues with his Emirati counterpart during their bilateral meetings. On Qatar's call convening an extra ordinary meeting of the Arab League Council on the situation in Syrian city of Aleppo, the minister said that the call received strong gulf support. He said that the recent crimes committed against civilians in Aleppo obliges the international community to take an ethical and humane stance. The purpose of the Arab League Council meeting at the invitation of the State of Qatar is to coordinate a common Arab position for moving through the Arab Group at the United Nations and the Security Council to take the measures that would contribute to solving the conflict and stop the escalation by the Syrian regime. With regard to the Qatari-UAE coordination on Libya, the minister said that consultations and coordination will continue to pursuit the goal of realising the unity and stability of Libya. '' Some may speak about divergent views in assessing the Libyan situation but, in fact, there is continuous contact with the UAE officials and coordination towards some actions whether we agree or not. However, we are all united towards the unity and stability of Libya. ''It's this approach that brought UAE and Qatar together to support Libya's stability and advance the political process,'' he added. ''We in Qatar work with other countries who have good ties with Libya to invest these relations in the best interest of Libya and its stability,'' he said. Sheikh Abdullah thanked the heads and members of the preparatory committees for their efforts in ensuring the success of the meeting. He also thanked the members of the UAE- Qatar Business Forum. The UAE minister expressed the hope that the next session, the seventh of the ministerial committee, will be held in Abu Dhabi. The Foreign Minister of Qatar delivered a speech in which he thanked Sheikh Abdullah and the delegation accompanying him to their second country, wishing success to the sixth session of joint ministerial committee. He also thanked the members of the preparatory committee, including senior officials and representatives of the public and private sector, for their efforts in preparing for this distinguished session, and the resolutions that would be reached. The Qatari Foreign Minister said the joint meeting stems from distinguished fraternal ties between the UAE and Qatar, which are keen to upgrade them to reach the level of the political will of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his brother His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, and their interest in consolidating the joint co-operation in all fields. Sheikh Mohammed Abdulrahman said this session is being held amid a critical regional situation that requires double the effort to strengthen co-operation and remove obstacles that hamper efforts to reach fruitful results in the service of mutual interests of the two sisterly countries. He said the agreements signed by the two sides would spur bilateral co-operation to wider horizons. The Qatari minister thanked the businessmen for the resolutions reached during the UAE-Qatar gathering, held between the chambers of commerce and industry of both countries to activate trade, investment and industrial activities in a manner that serves the private sector of both countries. At the conclusion of the meeting, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed and Sheikh Mohammed Abdulrahman signed the minutes of the sixth session. The UAE General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare and the Qatari Ministry of Culture and Youth signed a MoU on sports, while the Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and the Qatari General Authority for Tourism signed one on co-operation in organisation of exhibitions, while the two governments signed another on general education and culture from 2016 to 2019. Sheikh Abdullah and Sheikh Mohammed also witnessed the signing of the MoU between the Mohammed bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium Enterprises Development and the Qatar Development Bank. The MoU was signed by Saed Al Awadi, CEO of the Dubai Corporation for Exports and Abdulaziz Al Khalifa, CEO of Qatar Development Bank. The meetings were also attended by Khalid Ghanim Al Ghaith, Assistant Foreign Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for Economic Affairs, Saleh Mohammed bin Nasra Al Ameri, the UAE Ambassador to Qatar, a number of senior officials, and representatives from the ministries and competent authorities of the two countries. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed and Sheikh Mohammed Abdul Rahman held a joint press conference at the conclusion of the meetings. – Emirates News Agency, WAM – http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395295018015.html

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