AMBASSADOR HAMAD OBAID SALEM AL ZAABI HOSTS GRAND RECEPTION; ARMY CHIEF GEN BAJWAR CHIEF GUEST

ISLAMABAD, DEC 04 (DNA) – Colorful traditional dances; beautifully decorated venue and delicious Arabian cuisines were the hallmark of 47^th UAE National Day Celebrations. Presence of Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa ostensibly made the event more significant.

Ambassador of UAE, Hamad Obaid Salem Al Zaabi, as usual, hosted a grand reception to mark national day of his country. The ambassador became center of attention when he joined the traditional dancers to be part of a cultural performance.

The ambassador in his message on the occasion extended special thanks to the leadership and the people of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan for their messages of felicitations and sharing our celebrations.

He said during this year, the Emirates witnessed steady evolution in the economic and trade sectors sustained under the leadership of the President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Vice President, Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum in making substantial progress in the economic and social development and has continued to play a vital role in the regional and international affairs.

“The UAE adopted an active approach to diplomacy, with a marked openness to the outside world, establishing an extensive network of relations with various countries around the world, essentially based on the respect for the principles and charters of the United Nations and the international community, foremost of which are democracy and human rights, and non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs” he added.

The ambassador said one of the most salient indicators of the success of UAE diplomacy was the strength of the UAE passport, which in recent years has achieved consecutive leaps.

“In 2018, it ranked third in the world according to the World Passport Index, reaching 163 countries visa-free. Furthermore, UAE ranked 1st on Arab and 20th on global level in Happiness index, 1st in Rule of Law in the MENA region5th in Safety Index globally20th in Government Effectiveness globallyo 2 UAE seaports rank among the top 50 world container ports with Jebel Ali Port ranking 9th globally & 1st in Middle East & Africa”.

The most significant thing to say is that the UAE is emerging as regional leader in promoting the innovation, tolerance and happiness. Dubai Expo 2020 is one of the most important achievements under way, the ambassador disclosed.

The exhibition is an effective implementation of international cooperation policies and plays a central role in expanding and bolstering bilateral and multilateral relations.

The exhibition is expected to host more than 200 participating countries. It will contribute to strengthening cultural understanding and nurturing cultural dialogue between nations, while changing the prevailing perceptions on the region.

Giving a brief account of bilateral relations the ambassador said, UAE and Pakistan enjoy a unique friendship that withstood various tests and the scope of our cooperation kept expanding with the passage of time covering various fields.

“I have tried since my assignment as head of this mission to give an impetus to the bilateral relations which was established by none other than His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE, based on deeply rooted in strong political, religious, cultural and economic links”.

He said visit of  Imran Khan the Prime Minister of Pakistan to UAE in last two months further strengthened ties. During the visit the leaderships of both countries resolved to further intensify and strengthen the wide raging and mutually beneficial relations between Pakistan and the UAE.

In view of the conducive investment environment in Pakistan it is a matter of pride that the UAE’ Public and private corporations and companies are actively engaged making investment in various areas, in this regard a high-level delegation comprising 22 members from CEOs and Managing Directors of prominent UAE Companies visited Pakistan in October to explore other areas of investment.

Derived from UAE’s commitment toward the humanitarian development assistance, the UAE Pakistan Assistance Program signed the agreement for third phase of its program to implement humanitarian and developmental projects in Baluchistan and KPK provinces with the financial support worth US $ 200 Million Dollars, this came in addition to 165 completed projects for economic and human development in Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa and FATA covering sectors of health, education, infrastructure, the ambassador added.

Towards end, he said he trusted that Pakistan under the courageous leadership will continue its journey towards peace, social and economic development, I am confident that under the joint efforts of the leaderships of both countries, the relations will continue to keep pace with the time.=DNA