UAE-Qatar affirm commitment to continuing mutual consultation

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 UAE-Qatar affirm commitment to continuing mutual consultation

Doha - Shaikh Abdullah made the remarks when he chaired the meeting of the UAE-Qatari Higher Joint Committee alongside Shaikh Mohammad Bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, Qatar's Foreign Minister.

By WAM

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Published: Mon 2 May 2016, 11:48 PM

Last updated: Tue 3 May 2016, 1:57 AM

The UAE and Qatar are linked by strong historic and friendly relations that are based on mutual understanding and respect, said Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Shaikh Abdullah made the remarks when he chaired the meeting of the UAE-Qatari Higher Joint Committee alongside Shaikh Mohammad Bin Abdul Rahman Al Thani, Qatar's Foreign Minister.
Shaikh Abdullah said that trade between UAE and Qatar in 2015 was valued at $6 billion (Dh22.04 billion) to $7 billion compared to $9.2 billion recorded in 2014. He pointed out that this might be attributed to the decline in oil prices, but added that this decline calls for finding new methods for bolstering trade between the two countries.
Shaikh Abdullah praised the current investments between the UAE and Qatar. He indicated that 1,074 Emirati companies are operating in Qatar, while 4,200 Qatari companies are operating in the UAE.
Speaking about current joint strategic partnerships, Shaikh Abdullah pointed to the performance of Dolphin Energy, which produced 6.1 trillion cubic feet of gas as of March 31.
"As for the aviation sector, our national airlines are operating 175 flights a week between our nations, which contributes to enhancing bilateral relations. The number of Emiratis visiting Qatar was 117,000 in 2015, and 231,000 Qataris visited the UAE between January 2015 and March 2016," said Shaikh Abdullah.
For his part, Shaikh Mohammad said that the meeting complements the keenness of both nations to further strengthen relations. He added that the meeting is being held amid difficult conditions in the region. "This calls for us to amplify our efforts in order to enhance ongoing cooperation and remove any obstacles that are impeding the achievement of desired results that serve the mutual interests of both countries," said Shaikh Mohammad.
Shaikh Abdullah and Shaikh Mohammad witnessed the signing of a number of memoranda of understanding and agreements.
An MoU for cooperation was signed between the UAE's General Authority of Youth and Sports Welfare and Qatar's Ministry of Culture and Youth, an MoU on tourism cooperation and organising exhibitions was signed between Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority and Qatar Tourism Authority. An MoU was also signed on the executive education programme as part of the culture and education agreement between UAE and Qatar for 2016-2019.
In addition, an MoU between Mohammad Bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium Enterprises and Qatar Development Bank (QDB) was signed by Saeed Al Awadi, CEO of Dubai Export Development Corporation, and Abdul Aziz Al Khalifa, CEO of QDB.
Earlier, Shaikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, Emir of Qatar, on Monday received Shaikh Abdullah and his delegation.
Shaikh Abdullah arrived in Doha heading the UAE delegation to the sixth session of the UAE-Qatari Higher Joint Committee.
Shaikh Abdullah conveyed greetings from President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
The talk touched on bilateral relations and ways to develop them in the best interests of both nations and peoples. Shaikh Tamim and Shaikh Abdullah discussed a number of regional and international topics of mutual concern and expressed hope that the meeting of the UAE-Qatari joint committee would succeed in coming up with results that help strengthen cooperation and ties between the two countries.


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