Al Murr and President of the European Parliament discuss bilateral cooperation

Brussels (WAM): Mohammed Ahmed Al Murr, Speaker of Federal National Council (FNC) and Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament, have discussed ways to enhance Emirati- European bilateral relations on the sidelines of the official visit of the FNC delegation to Belgium, at the headquarters of the European Parliament in Brussels. The meeting was attended by the UAE Federal National Council delegation, including Dr. Amal Abdullah Al Qubaisi, Faisal Abdullah Al Tunaiji, Mohammed Saeed Al Raqbani, Dr. Jacob Ali Al Naqbi and Suleiman Hamed Salem Al Mazrouei, Head of the UAE Mission to European Union (EU) and UAE Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium. During the meeting, Al Murr affirmed the important role played by the European Union through its support for issues of security and stability in the Middle East in general, and the Gulf in particular, stressing the strong and deep relations and strategic partnership, as well as cooperation between the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council for the Arab States (GCC), where the UAE has fruitful cooperation in many fields, economic, political and in the field of energy. He stressed that the two sides represent a strategic importance to each other, praising the decision of the European Parliament to recommend the opening of a European Union mission in Abu Dhabi, and its support for the United Arab Emirates to be included with the 19 states which are candidates for the exemption of the EU Schengen visa, emphasising the importance of these steps in strengthening relations and cooperation between the two sides at various levels. Al Murr commended the continuous support of the Parliamentary Division of the UAE in various parliamentary forums, which expresses the strength of bilateral relations and the importance of their development for the future. He also noted the importance of enhancing parliamentary relations between the FNC and the European Parliament, particularly within the framework of issues of mutual and common interests, such as the issues of the Middle East. Al Murr stressed that the UAE, since its inception, has respected and cared for human rights, guaranteeing them in its constitution and domestic legislation, saying that one of its main external objectives was to join international conventions involving those rights and to be able to be a member of the Human Rights Council. He went on to say that the international community has witnessed and approved the spread of these values of tolerance and differences between cultures to confirm the Emirates' record in this regard. Al Murr also re-affirmed that political development in the UAE is based on the principles of achieving wise governance, transparency and strengthening the rule of law, pointing out that each country has its own internal policies, commensurate with the nature of its society, and the UAE has shared with other countries of the world the global objectives and principles of tolerance, justice, democracy and freedom of expression. During the meeting, Al Murr touched on the adoption by most countries of the European Union of a neutral opinion and support for bilateral dialogue between the United Arab Emirates and the Islamic Republic of Iran on the occupation of the three UAE islands, Greater and Lesser Tunbs and Abu Musa, by the Republic of Iran; pointing out the firm stand of the UAE and its call for ending the occupation of the three islands by peaceful means through direct negotiations, according to a fixed schedule, or to refer the dispute to the International Court of Justice in order to establish security and stability in the region. At the meeting, the two sides also reviewed the latest developments in the region, especially the developments of the Syrian crisis and the efforts of European parties to achieve reconciliation in the Geneva 2 meeting, where the FNC Speaker stressed the UAE's support for regional and international efforts to achieve stability and security in the countries of the region, alongside its support for international efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis faced by Syrian civilians through its provision of various medical and food humanitarian relief and the establishment of a camp for about 4,000 Syrian refugees. – Emirates News Agency, WAM