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Hamdan and Rice discuss ‘reforms’

WASHINGTON — Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Shaikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan and US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice discussed a range of bilateral and multilateral issues of common interest, a US State Department spokesman said yesterday.

Sean McCormack said that Rice had discussed with Shaikh Hamdan US efforts to support the constitution drafting process in Iraq, the plan for disengagement from Gaza and parts of the West Bank, counter-terrorism efforts as well as the international community’s efforts to enlist Iran’s compliance with its commitments on nuclear development.

McCormack said that Rice also spoke in positive terms about the UAE’s ongoing efforts to promote economic and political reform in the country. He said that Rice also spoke about US concern for the problem of human trafficking within the UAE and across the region.

McCormack described the talks between Shaikh Hamdan and Rice as fruitful, saying that they also stressed the importance of staying in close contact.

However, he declined to comment on whether Rice had asked the UAE to contribute more to Darfur region in Sudan.

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