The launch of the fifteenth forum of ambassadors and representatives of the country’s representative missions abroad

Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Forum of Ambassadors and Representatives of the State’s Representative Missions abroad launched this evening in its fifteenth session, organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Over the course of five days from March 28 to April 1, 2021.

This year’s forum comes in exceptional circumstances resulting from the global Covid-19 pandemic, which imposed the creation of a new framework and the use of the latest visual communication technologies to ensure that the forum is held in its new look.

This annual meeting allows representatives of the United Arab Emirates abroad to interact directly and learn about the nation’s issues and development priorities closely to serve these issues and priorities, making it one of the bridges that bring together ambassadors, heads of representative missions and state institutions, in order to achieve the required interconnection between the internal and external policies.

His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, inaugurated the activities of the first day of the meeting of ambassadors and heads of representative missions of the state abroad in its fifteenth session with a welcome speech delivered remotely through visual communication technology, as His Highness highlighted the pivotal role played by the country’s embassies and representative missions abroad since the beginning The crisis being the link with the citizens of the state who are abroad, in order to provide the best possible facilities and services while ensuring his safety, which is at the forefront of the priorities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and State Cooperation.

His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan added: “Despite the difficult international conditions in light of the pandemic, the UAE has had achievements at the global level. This year witnessed the official entry of the country into the global race to explore outer space with the arrival of the Hope Probe to Mars. At the beginning of this year, coinciding with the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the United Arab Emirates, peace and security in the region and the world witnessed remarkable developments, as the country achieved a historic diplomatic achievement with the State of Israel that opens the way to great potentials in the diplomatic, scientific, cultural and economic fields. The achievements in recognition of the distinctive model of the UAE, which is based on coexistence and progress in all its forms, and this year comes to open a stage through which we proceed to the next fifty years, where the centenary awaits the people of the Emirates.

His Highness called on all ambassadors and representatives of the country’s representative missions abroad to participate in shaping the future, so that the country would succeed towards Emirati diplomacy, based as it was always on the lofty values ​​of the approach of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God have mercy on him. It is one of the values ​​of the Emirati community that they represent. His Highness affirmed that “these values ​​are based on constants we have always believed in, and we have applied them in all our initiatives that we have built with the countries of the world. They are human brotherhood, equality between human beings, the priority of human dignity, we share with the world science and knowledge and adopt tolerance and moderation as a compass that defines our path.” His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan affirmed: “We in the UAE represent a unique and distinct political development experience because the continuity of its success depends on our ability to anticipate the future and understand the changes in the world that has become more complex and witnesses the emergence of new trends that require us to adapt so that we can contribute to its management. To run out. And that the traditional ideological and diplomatic theories no longer have a place in the 21st century, which created a new reality other than the concepts of force and their uses to protect the national interests of any country. The pandemic has also brought about variables that the world is still trying to understand and adapt to.

His Highness added that there are two new and old dimensions that ambassadors and representatives of the representative missions of the country abroad should focus on in the coming period, namely, economy and science as basic components of diplomatic work: “On the economic side, the UAE has achieved an economic miracle. As you know well, the vision of our wise leadership. The focus is now on empowering the UAE, not to preserve the economic position, but to make qualitative shifts in line with the changes of the times, so it is imperative for the country’s embassies abroad to become gateways to attract investment to the UAE, deepen intra-regional trade with countries, protect the interests of our partnerships abroad and expand our business. In the matter of science, science and knowledge, the UAE has entered the race of the 21st century, which is a race to possess intellectual rights in various fields of science, and hosting the headquarters of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is nothing but to gain knowledge in this field for the future of humanity, so that we may become pioneers in the field of renewable energy. .What is the mission of Al-Amal, which we are proud of, except to deepen our knowledge in the field of space exploration and to become also one of the pioneering countries in development.

On its first day, the forum witnessed an opening speech by His Excellency Dr. Anwar Gargash, the diplomatic advisor to the President of the State, in which he reviewed the experience he had acquired during his career at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. It also included interventions by His Excellency Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State, and HE Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs and Permanent Representative of the UAE to the United Nations, as well as a speech by HE Saeed Al Habsi, Director of the Human Rights Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

This year, the forum will witness the participation of a number of ministers, a group of senior officials and directors of departments at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and a number of governmental institutions and bodies in the country from various sectors, in addition to the state’s ambassadors and heads of representative missions of the state abroad, which contribute to the promotion and development of the objectives of the UAE diplomacy. Over the course of five continuous days, the forum will deal with major themes in the political, economic, cultural, legal, innovation and advanced sciences fields. The participants in the forum will also review the most important and prominent achievements of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and the most important developments in its work and its various programs, especially in the consular sector.

The holding of the forum comes within the framework of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation’s keenness to enhance communication and interaction between ministers and officials with the country’s ambassadors abroad to exchange views and be informed of various developments in regional and international issues.

It is worth noting that the Forum of Ambassadors and Heads of the Emirati Representative Missions abroad is held annually in the capital, Abu Dhabi, as it represents an important opportunity for interaction, dialogue and exchange of views and ideas with leadership and officials in the state and ambassadors and representatives of representative missions abroad on the regional and international arenas in order to enhance the performance and effectiveness of the UAE foreign policy.