US President Joe Biden (front row, left) greets Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan (front right) before a meeting at the White House during an official visit. Also in the photo are President Sheikh Mohammed (right) and Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan. — Photo: Wham
Published: Saturday, September 28, 2024, 7:27am
The Gulf country’s foreign minister said Friday that the UAE is strengthening ties with the United States.
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, spoke separately this week with US President Joe Biden, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, and Republican candidate Donald Trump. The Minister of Foreign Affairs commented.
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President Sheikh Mohammed visited the United States for the first time as president. This is also the first time a sitting Emirati president has visited the United States since the establishment of the UAE in 1971.
During his visit, Biden acknowledged the Gulf states as key defense partners.
“My country, the UAE, is strengthening ties with the United States,” Sheikh Abdullah said in a statement to Reuters, without providing further details.
He said being recognized as a major defense partner is a welcome development that reflects confidence in U.S. policy.
The UAE is a security partner of the United States and has fought alongside U.S. forces in several military operations, including the war in Afghanistan, and also has U.S. troops stationed in Abu Dhabi. The UAE also relies on the US security umbrella in the Gulf.
Sheikh Abdullah said Abu Dhabi looks forward to continuing cooperation with Washington.
“The UAE remains very bullish on the US,” he said.
This year, Washington and Abu Dhabi deepened cooperation on artificial intelligence. Microsoft is now the main investor in state-owned company G42. Sheikh Mohammed met this week with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and semiconductor maker Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.
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