UAE to sharpen islands strategy

April 22, 2012

UAE

Dubai, April 22: Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash has called on Iran to enter into negotiations with the UAE over the three islands occupied by Tehran and to refrain from using arrogant language.

“The UAE today is not that small baby born on 2nd December 1971, rather it’s a key state with huge potentials,” Gargash reminded, calling on Iran to be a mature state and to take into consideration the “neighbourly relationship” that link the two countries.

“We will remain neighbours forever despite our differences,” the minister told Dubai TV in an interview. The UAE, he affirmed, is a wise, respectable state adopting civilised approaches to restore its right. “We are following a long-patience policy”.

The statement came in the wake of the UAE’s reaction — which analysts considered as “unprecedented in term of its strength” — to a recent visit made by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad to Abu Mousa Island, which Iran occupied, along with the Greater and Lesser Tunbs, in 1971 on the eve of the birth of the UAE Federation.

Meanwhile, a senior Arab League official said in Cairo that implications of Ahmedinejad’s visit to Abu Mousa will top the agenda of the extraordinary meeting of the Arab foreign ministers on Thursday.

League Deputy Secretary-General Ahmed bin Heli said the foreign ministers would take a common Arab stand on the issue.

In the Dubai TV interview, Gargash said the UAE will adopt a new political strategy in pressing for the demand to solve the issue through peaceful diplomatic channels under the umbrella of the international law. “We are mulling all possible options before us in this respect,” he said, adding that the next phase will see intensive drive for UAE diplomacy.

He emphasised that it’s not in the interest of either the UAE or Iran to escalate the situation because solution to a bilateral problem cannot be reached through provocative statements.

Gargash noted that the UAE’s firm and decisive reaction to the Iranian violation of its sovereignty has nothing to do with what the Iranians were talking about a foreign move. “We are fed up with the record of foreign pressure which the Iranians kept parroting”.

The UAE’s reaction was strong, he went on to say, because Ahmedinejad’s visit to Abu Mousa was an “unprecedented development”.


“It is the first time an Iranian president paid a visit to our occupied islands”. The visit, he indicated, has circumvented a year’s efforts to initiate bilateral negotiations.

The minister said the UAE was shocked by Ahmedinejad’s visit to Abu Mousa island, which undermined Tehran’s credibility.

He attributed the UAE’s surprise to the fact that “the visit was conducted at a time when the two countries reached an understanding on negotiation over the islands. After months of arduous efforts, the two sides had agreed that it was time to solve the problem. The UAE had even named its negotiator and Iran assigned a senior adviser of Ahmedinejad to the mission.

Gargash said the UAE’s claim of ownership to the islands is “based on realistic and tangible historic evidence”.

But he said “the UAE stands ready to risk its historic and legal facts and win or lose at the International Court of Justice”.

Refuting Iran’s allegations of having historic evidences to claim ownership of the islands, Gargash said: “He who has such evidences is supposed to accept international arbitration”.


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News Network
April 27,2020

Riyadh, Apr 27: The government of Saudi Arabia has signed a SR995 million (approx. Dh972m) contract with China to provide Covid-19 tests for nine million people in the Kingdom.

The Saudi Press Agency, SPA, reported that the decision came "as a result of a phone call made today (Sunday) between the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Chinese President Xi Jinping."

The contract includes providing necessary equipment and supplies, making available of 500 Chinese specialists and technicians who are specialised in performing tests, establishing six large regional laboratories throughout the Kingdom; including a mobile laboratory with a capacity of performing 10,000 tests per day. Saudi cadres will also be trained to conduct daily tests and comprehensive field tests, under the new agreement

The contract was co-signed by the National Unified Procurement Company and Chinese company Huo-yan Laboratories by Dr. Abdullah Al Rabeeah, Advisor at the Royal Court, on behalf of the Government of Saudi Arabia, and Chinese Ambassador to the Kingdom Chen Weiqing, as a representative of the Chinese Government.

The contract is one of the largest contracts that will provide diagnostic tests for the novel Coronavirus.

Tests were also purchased from several other companies from the United States, Switzerland and South Korea, bringing the number of available tests to 14.5 million, covering around 40 percent of Saudi Arabia's population, SPA added.

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Agencies
February 5,2020

Paris, Feb 5: Saudi Arabia has reported an outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N8 bird flu virus on a poultry farm, the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) said on Tuesday, February 4.

The outbreak, which occurred in the central Sudair region, killed 22,700 birds, the OIE said, citing a report from the Saudi agriculture ministry.

The other 385,300 birds in the flock were slaughtered, it said.

The case was the first outbreak of the H5N8 virus in Saudi Arabia since July 2018.

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News Network
April 25,2020

Apr 25: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday spoke to his counterparts from Qatar, the UAE, Niger, Palestine and Czech Republic and held discussions around the coronavirus infection.

In conversation with Qatar Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Jaishankar discussed their experience of dealing with coronavirus infection and also thanked him for taking care of the Indian community.

"A cordial conversation with FM @MBA_AlThani_ of #Qatar. Discussed our #coronavirus experiences. Thanked him for taking care of the Indian community. Such challenging times will only further strengthen our friendship," he said in a tweet.

Jaishankar also spoke to United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed.

"Pandemics further highlight the need for international cooperation. Few better examples than our relationship with #UAE. Applaud the generosity of spirit and clarity of policy that has characterised its approach. Thank HH @ABZayed for the warm conversation today," he said in another tweet.

Jaishankar also spoke to Niger Foreign Minister Kalla Ankourao and assured him of India's support in meeting the coronavirus challenge, including medicines.

"Just spoke with FM @kallaankourao of #Niger. Assured him of India's support in meeting the #coronavirus challenge, including medicines. Discussed its global implications in the context of the United Nations," he tweeted.

Jaishankar also discussed the coronavirus situation with Palestine Foreign Minister Riad Al Malki. "Welcomed speaking with FM Riad Al Malki of #Palestine. Discussed the #coronavirus situation. Assured him of Indian medical assistance," he said in a tweet.

He also exchanged experiences on coronavirus response with Czech Foreign Minister Tomas Petricek.

The minister said the two leaders agreed that there are valuable lessons for international cooperation.

"Glad to catch up with FM @TPetricek of #CzechRepublic. Exchanged our experiences on #coronavirus response. Agreed that there are valuable lessons for international cooperation. Look forward to keeping in touch," he said in a tweet.

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