The Embassy of United Arab Emirates in Kigali today marked the 49th National Day at the UAE Embassy in the presence of guests who included distinguished members of the Diplomatic Corps and a representative from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The UAE Ambassador HE Hazza Alqahtani said that the UAE reaffirms its intent to move forward in the path of the founding fathers to strengthen and consolidate the institutions of the Union, protect its gains and accomplishments.
Read his Speech below:
Ladies and Gentlemen,
First and foremost, I extend my congratulations to His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and their brothers, the Rulers the UAE Supreme Council and the Government and people of the UAE on this 49th National Day.
Yearly, on December 2nd, we commemorate the establishment of the United Arab Emirates, occasion marks a sincere reflection of the federation’s journey rich in monumental events and achievements, building on the foundation that was first laid down by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and his brothers, the fellow founding fathers.
Today, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, follows in their footsteps, leading our nation in its journey towards the future.
This auspicious occasion is a reminder of all the successes and achievement accomplished over 49 years under one flag, in unity.
Today is an important national occasion for the UAE, in which we extend warm thanks from the happiest people to our nation’s leadership.
Today, we reaffirm our intent to move forward in the path of the founding fathers to strengthen and consolidate the institutions of the Union, protect its gains and accomplishments, show loyalty and belonging to the homeland, uphold values, uphold our national identity, develop mechanisms of institutional performance and systematic work according to specific scientific bases and strategies, and to achieve excellence, leadership and creativity in harvesting further qualitative achievements in various fields.
Throughout the year 2020, the UAE witnessed achievements in several fields at the national, regional and international levels.
This year, the UAE continued with its ambitious national efforts, launching a peaceful nuclear power plant, the first of its kind in the region, as well as entering the global race to explore outer space by sending the first Arab and Islamic probe to Mars -“the Hope Probe” -, making it one of the nine countries aspiring to explore this planet.
The probe was launched on July 20, 2020, and it is expected to reach Mars by the year 2021, coinciding with the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the United Arab Emirates.
As for regional peace and security, the UAE has accomplished a historic diplomatic achievement with the state of Israel, giving way to great potential in the diplomatic, scientific, cultural and economic fields.
In this perspective, HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation signed the Abraham Accords Peace Agreement between the UAE and Israel on September 15, 2020, signaling a new page in the relations between the two countries and promoting concerted efforts to enhance stability and security in our region.
The UAE has embraced this Accord in the interests of the region’s youth, and we aim to ensure the greatest benefit to the region and its people after previous approaches failed to achieve the required results.
In the UAE, we have built a diverse, tolerant and future-oriented society, a world-class hub for innovation, culture and business, and the Accord is an important step towards sharing this vision across the Middle East.
The Agreement created immediate and meaningful security, economic, and social benefits. Indeed, the UAE and Israel are already collaborating closely to expand and intensify research and treatment on the coronavirus, and working groups are making progress on a range of bilateral cooperative initiatives across key sectors.
These sectors include logistics, air links, tourism, cultural exchange, education, medical, scientific research, and telecommunications.
The Accord has been met with broad international support and is consistent with UN resolutions, which call on member states to intensify efforts to achieve comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in the Middle East. It constitutes an important step in advancing peacemaking efforts to the region’s benefit and reinforces the UAE’s deep and longstanding commitment to the Palestinian people.
The UAE’s position on the Palestinian question remains unchanged and entirely consistent with the Arab position and relevant UN resolutions, as the UAE develops plans to increase social support for Palestinians in the UAE, in line with its historic commitment to the Palestinian people.
In this year, which witnessed the biggest crisis facing humanity in decades due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, the UAE was able to consolidate its humanitarian approach, which is a fundamental pillar of Emirati policy, especially in international cooperation and solidarity with societies in need.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak around the world, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) established a diplomatic approach long-adopted by the UAE, cooperating with all countries around the world and lending a helping hand to communities in need of support and assistance, to enhance and strengthen international and multilateral cooperation under extraordinary circumstances.
This global context has shed the light on the Ministry’s key role in coordinating with international organizations and external parties in various countries to secure vital assistance to tackle the crisis induced by the global pandemic, adopting the UAE’s long-standing approach towards enhancing cooperation between the various parties to overcome current challenges.
The UAE has thus delivered medical supplies to over 120 countries in need, assisting more than 1.6 million medical workers worldwide in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, a clear demonstration of the considerable potential and capabilities of the UAE aid sector, enabling it to reach over a third of the countries in the world despite difficulties and challenges suffered by most shipping and storage sectors globally.
The humanitarian role of UAE aid sector went beyond sending aid to countries in need; it featured coordination at the highest levels with relevant international organizations and specialized bodies, particularly the World Health Organization, and the World Food Programme and its assistance in delivering medical and food supplies to some countries, strengthening the capacity of these organizations to reach the largest international beneficiary group in all parts of the world and contributing to the provision of the necessary medical supplies.
In this regard, the UAE has become the main artery of logistics operations for international organizations that have established strategic warehouses located in the International Humanitarian City in Dubai, and the first responder to global crises, particularly COVID-19 aid.
The UAE is keen to be a logistical center for the global distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine, as part of its efforts to help the world to confront the Coronavirus and pave the way for the recovery of the global economy.
Amidst the global crisis resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, Expo 2020 Dubai has been postponed, as these are unprecedented times, and the health and safety of all Expo 2020 participants remains a top priority for the country.
Many Expo participant countries were significantly impacted by COVID-19 and they have therefore expressed a need to postpone the opening of Expo 2020 Dubai by one year, to help them overcome this challenge.
The UAE supported this proposal in the Steering Committee meeting in a spirit of solidarity and unity. The UAE is proud to host the World Expo 2020 Dubai next October and over six months, as it coincides with the UAE celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the union.
This will allow all participants to overcome the repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic, and provide an exceptional opportunity to focus on the common desire to formulate new thinking to find solutions to some of the most pressing challenges. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation continues to watch over its citizens overseas around the clock and to be the link between them and the visionary leadership through all its departments, embassies and representative missions around the world in an effort to strengthen the bonds of friendship and cooperation with other countries, and to foster economic and cultural development, and peace in the world.
Ladies and gentlemen,
As we celebrate this occasion, we take this opportunity to thank God almighty, for He has blessed us with a wise leadership that spares no effort in elevating this nation and achieving well-being and happiness for Emirati nationals and residents alike.
We pledge to God that we will persevere in our journey with further determination and intent, to build the future that the UAE aspires to, which establishes loyalty to the nation and its leadership, respect for the constitution, compliance with the law, commitment to the values of society, and engrains the values of tolerance and amity.
We look forward to further advancement and prosperity for our nation. May peace and God’s mercy and blessings be upon you. (End)