UAE President reaffirms ‘unwavering commitment’ to US partnership during talks with President Biden

WASHINGTON, 23rd September, 2024 (WAM) -- President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan spoke of the ‘power of partnerships’ during talks with US President Joe Biden at the White House today.

His Highness reaffirmed the UAE’s unwavering commitment to its US partnership and hailed the power of building bridges with nations that share the same values and ambitions for a brighter future.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and President Biden discussed the depth of the strategic relationship between the UAE and the US and their joint determination to further strengthen these bonds.

The two leaders reviewed various aspects of the longstanding bilateral ties, particularly in the fields of trade and investment, the economy, advanced technology, space, renewable energy, climate action, sustainability and food security. They expressed their keenness to expand collaboration in these areas to help advance both countries’ shared ambitions for global prosperity and stability.

To illustrate how relations between the two countries have flourished, His Highness recalled a 1974 meeting between the UAE’s Founding Father Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and a team from NASA who gave a briefing on the Apollo programme. Fifty years later, he explained, the UAE is now partnering with NASA in the development of the Gateway mission, humanity’s first space station around the moon.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed affirmed that the UAE and the United States share a solid friendship and a strong strategic alliance built on firm foundations of mutual trust, respect, and shared interests. He added that this alliance is grounded in a long history ofcooperation across political, economic, and other fields.

The UAE and US Presidents also discussed regional and international issues of mutual interest, especially developments in the Middle East and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They addressed efforts aimed at achieving a ceasefire to ensure the unobstructed flow of sufficient humanitarian aid and to contain any escalation that threatens regional security and stability.

In this context, His Highness praised President Joe Biden's initiative and the joint mediation efforts of the United States, Egypt, and Qatar to achieve a lasting ceasefire in Gaza and the release of prisoners and detainees from both the Palestinian and Israeli sides. His Highness underscored the importance of continuing these efforts as a first step on the path towards resuming the political process to achieve a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace based on the two-state solution, ensuring security and stability for people across the region.

His Highness emphasised the UAE's commitment to deepening cooperation with the US with regard to their shared vision of promoting peace, stability, and prosperity in the Middle East and beyond, while building a strong international partnership to address global challenges. This aligns with the UAE's longstanding approach of supporting regional and global stability, peace, and development through collective international efforts.

On arriving at the White House, the UAE President wrote an entry in the guestbook expressing his pleasure to be meeting with President Biden. He reaffirmed the UAE’s keenness to continue building upon the enduring, strategic relationship between the UAE and US to support the shared development goals of both countries. His Highness also conveyed his best wishes for continued progress and prosperity for the United States and its people.

The meeting was attended by H.H. Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Ruler of Abu Dhabi and National Security Adviser; H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs; Khaldoun Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority; and Yousef Al Otaiba, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the United States of America in Washington.