Arab nations must work together for peace, says former US secretary of State

The former US Secretary of State, Michael Pompeo, has urged nations to work together on challenges facing the Arab region to achieve peace and stability.

During a lecture titled “The Pillars of World Gardens”, which was hosted at the Mohmed bin Zayed Majlis on Tuesday evening, Pompeo said: “It is necessary for nations to work together to achieve peace and security in the Middle East and elsewhere. The choice is in our hands to provide peace for those who desperately need it.”

Pompeo also talked about the importance of good family relations and faith in building strong and peaceful nations.

He pointed out that people should build their families with good morals and values, strengthen their faith on principles of love, tolerance, respect for one another, and peaceful co-existence to fight extremist ideologies that are threatening world peace.

“Faith is vital in our lives. In our faith, there is nothing more important than our families. We must work together through our families, faith and love to achieve peace and economic growth,” said the former US Secretary of State.

Pompeo also praised the Abraham Accords, which saw the UAE normalise relations with Israel, stressing that it was a great achievement for both nations and would enhance the chances of peace and stability in the region as it represents a positive step in this direction.

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He noted that the American foreign policy is transparent and that the US and the UAE have worked together on many fronts to ensure peace and security in the region.

“The American military strength is magnificent and unquestionable. American marines and the UAE special forces have worked together on a number of battles to save lives and secure peace and security in the region,” he said, adding that the US has the responsibility of ensuring peace and security of not only the American people but also other nations.

Pompeo also praised the UAE for its commitment to gender parity stressing that country has become a model for empowering women and equality in the region.

“I have seen many Emirati women in powerful leadership positions and important professions like engineering, medicine and others. This is very important for the development of the nation,” he said.

The lecture was attended by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed forces and other government dignitaries.

- ismail@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi