Sultan bin Hamdan bin Zayed addresses Arab-Chinese Women's Forum

ABU DHABI, 29th April, 2015 (WAM) -- Sheikh Sultan bin Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Director of the Department of East Asia and Pacific at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has said that the Arab-Chinese Women's Forum comes at a time when the Arab-Chinese relations are witnessing a paradigm shift enhanced through cooperation in women, youth and civil society sectors and therefore opens up new avenues for cooperation not limited to the official government side. On the occasion of the opening of the Arab-Chinese Women's Forum in Abu Dhabi under the theme, "Women's Economic Empowerment", and with the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women's Union, GWU, Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation, FDF, and President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, Sheikh Sultan highlighted UAE's support to the efforts of empowering Arab-Chinese women and their integration into the development issues to assume the highest positions and active presence in all areas. He added that the forum embodies the cohesion and strong ties in Arab-Chinese relations in general and the UAE-Chinese relations in particular and the depth of historical relations between the UAE and the People's Republic of China. He pointed out that UAE-Chinese relations are witnessing notable progress at all levels since the establishment of the state, which were launched by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founder of the UAE and the builder of the renaissance and which have flourished under the wise leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who has always stressed that the UAE is open to all countries without bias, and is working on the exchange of ideas and mutual understanding, respect and peace. Sheikh Sultan added that despite the development of the bilateral relations between the UAE and China, promoting it to the stage of a strategic partnership relationship, looking forward for women to be present as active and important partners through their contributions to boost this relationship. He expressed his confidence that Emirati women are able to play a greater role in the consolidation of this intra-partnership, looking forward to the UAE and Chinese women playing a pivotal role in the overall development of bilateral trade and expanding cooperation in the areas of capacity building and investment, innovation, creativity and technology transfer, in order to serve the interests of the two countries. Sheikh Sultan expressed his thanks to H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, "Mother of the UAE", for her keenness on promoting Emirati women's issues and empowerment in all sectors of society. – Emirates News Agency, WAM – http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395279842956.html