Since its establishment on the second of December 1971 by the late founding leader Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, may God bless his soul, the State of the United Arab Emirates has adopted a rational foreign policy based on the principles and charter of the United Nations, a stance that abides by the laws and customs on which international legitimacy
is based. This consistent approach has always characterized the UAE’s relations with all countries of the world. Therefore, the State’s speech delivered by His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to the United Nations General Assembly, expressed the trends and constants that represent a basic framework for Emirati diplomacy, which has become characterized by a tremendous extent of dynamism, effectiveness and the ability to move outside the frameworks of traditionalism and stereotyping in international relations.
It was natural for the speech to focus heavily on addressing the UAE’s vision for the historic peace treaty with Israel, and how it aims to open new horizons and paths for future generations, by laying solid foundations for coexistence, openness and real acceptance of the other, so that the translation of the principles and convictions that the UAE believes in is materialized into a reality that provides an example and a model for all people who suffer from the effects and repercussions of chronic crises, as is the case in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
The Emirati vision for the present and the future is based on interconnected principles and foundations, foremost of which is the need to resolve conflicts by peaceful means, openness, pluralism, and acceptance of the other. The closed, unilateral visions have aggravated the situation in the Palestinian cause, and created the atmosphere for the use of terrorism for a just cause when terrorist organizations exploited it to attract the sympathy of young people, recruit them and commit crimes in the name of the cause in arenas, regions and countries that have nothing to do with the cause or the suffering of its true owners!
It was very important for the UAE to confirm the real causes of the current crises in our Arab region, which has been afflicted with many conflicts and areas of chaos that have spread in several countries to become hotspots for terrorists and extremists, and arenas of activity that are filled with regional powers that finance and employ terrorist organizations in order to achieve their goals and regional interests. His Highness the Foreign Minister’s speech is clear and revealing about the warning against the expansionist ambitions of some regional countries that live in historical delusions, which prompted them to blatant military interventions in several Arab countries, believing that the current Arab strategic weakness could be the gateway to rewriting history, redrawing maps and reengineering the region according to their interests and goals!
In the speech of His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE not only diagnosed the terminal strategic disease in the Arab region, but presented its vision for treatment by calling for the crystallization of a unified international position that rejects violations of sovereignty and interference in the internal affairs of countries, and seeks to reach political solutions led by nations The State explained its vision by saying, “These warnings came out of our reality and our experience, as the flash points in Yemen, Syria, Libya, Iraq and others are linked to crude interference in Arab affairs by countries that carry the fuse of sedition or historical illusions to re-establish control and colonialism over the Arab region and the Horn of Africa, causing bloody wars.”
The UAE’s affirmation of its support to the Secretary-General of the United Nations regarding a ceasefire around the world is a clear reflection of the deep strategic awareness of the danger of continuing conflicts, disagreements, wars and crises, and their coincidence with unconventional threats, foremost among which is the outbreak of epidemics, as various countries and regions of the world suffer from an unprecedented spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has infected more than 35 million people so far, and caused the death of more than one million people.
The UAE’s strategic vision is based on respecting the sovereignty of States and preserving the interests of the peoples. It calls for peace and stability in Yemen and believes that “the current climate may be appropriate for reaching a comprehensive ceasefire and a permanent political solution under the auspices of the United Nations,” and it calls for “uniting the Yemeni ranks to reach towards a sustainable solution, ”and supports“ the repeated calls for an immediate ceasefire in Libya, and we call on all parties to adhere to the political process under the auspices of the United Nations and build on the outcomes of Berlin ”and stress the continuation of the call and work to reach a peaceful political solution to the crisis to achieve lasting security and stability in This Arab country. The speech also stated the need to stop foreign interference in Syrian affairs, and to emphasize that “the political process is the only way to end the crisis, and to preserve the security of the Syrian people.”
His Highness the Minister of Foreign Affairs drew the attention of the whole world to a very important and dangerous issue, which is to warn against the exposure of conflict areas to the pandemic of the Corona virus, considering these areas as less prepared for this danger, which puts the residents of these areas and the world at large to the danger of the continuation of the epidemic and the difficulty of eliminating it, not to mention what that means at the human level.
The Emirates that never forgets its three occupied islands (Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb and Abu Musa) and stresses that it will not abandon its demand to Iran to return them to its owners, does not forget the Palestinian people and their just cause, as the speech came as a strong response that silenced those who doubt the UAE’s stance towards the Palestinian people, His Highness affirmed that the call for “the establishment of an independent Palestinian State on the borders of 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital, in accordance with the relevant international decisions and in line with the Arab and international consensus” remains a constant demand of the Emirates despite the claims of those who are trading with the cause of the Palestinian people, as His Highness described the UAE’s position towards supporting the Palestinian people and the establishment of the two-State solution as firm.
The speech of the UAE was also a reflection of the depth of faith in human and civilized principles and values, as His Highness the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said, “These critical times require countries to put aside their differences and strengthen cooperation between them to develop and provide vaccines and treatment for all peoples.”
When the UAE, with all its weight, role, position, ambitions and aspirations, seeks to build a tolerant world free of conflicts and crises and secure societies that believe in coexistence and dialogue, it seeks to run for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council for the period 2022-2023; This effort becomes, God willing, an important added value in the interest of international security and stability.
