Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan: Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Abdyldaev Erlan Bekeshovich, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kyrgyzstan, yesterday signed an MoU on political consultations with Kyrgyzstan.
During a meeting between the two foreign ministers in Bishkek, the holding of the first Emirati-Kyrgyz Business Forum was announced, which aims to discuss investment opportunities and ways to boost trade between the two countries.
They also exchanged views on a number of issues of mutual interest in the light of developments in the regional and international arenas, as well as means of enhancing bilateral relations and mechanisms for their development in various fields.
In a speech during a joint press conference, Bekeshovich said the meeting covered means of developing the Kyrgyz-UAE historical and cultural relations, strengthening them and boosting friendly relations and close cooperation between the two countries, pointing out that Shaikh Abdullah is the first foreign minister from the Arab countries to visit Kyrgyzstan.
The two sides stressed the importance of organising exchanges of visits at the level of senior officials between Kyrgyzstan and the UAE, including the participation of both sides in important events such as the World Summit for the Conservation of the White Tiger to be held on August 25, 2017, in Bishkek, and Expo 2020 in Dubai.
The two countries expressed their interest in exchanging and enhancing trade activities by organising business visits for representatives of companies, organisations and institutions from both countries through the Kyrgyz-UAE Business Forum which was held in Bishkek on Thursday.
The UAE Foreign Minister thanked Bekeshovich for the kind speech, commending Kyrgyzstan’s interest in promoting its relationship with the UAE, saying, “I appreciate your hospitality and your kind invitation.”
He pointed out that during the meeting, they had discussed a number of issues of common interest, expressing his pleasure that he was the first Arab foreign minister to visit Kyrgyzstan.
“The UAE is happy to have an embassy in Kyrgyzstan. Through this mission, we hope that we can push this relationship forward to a higher level between the two countries and encourage tourism, investment and trade,” Shaikh Abdullah went on to say.
He added that the UAE looks forward to being a partner of Kyrgyzstan in many fields, noting that there are many opportunities in the country, especially in the fields of infrastructure, energy, tourism and food security.
He welcomed the participation of Kyrgyzstan in Expo 2020 Dubai, saying, “Through our bilateral relationship, we seek to strengthen your relations with the GCC and the Arab League.”
“A few days ago, both countries participated in the Arab-American Islamic Summit in Riyadh,” he said. “At this summit, a strong statement was made that clearly demonstrates our position on extremism and terrorism, financing of terrorism and violence, trying to cause instability in the region.
“I appealed to Iran to deal with its surroundings under international law and to respect the sovereignty of states and stop supporting and funding terrorist organisations,” he said. “This brings us back to the scenes we saw in the Manchester incident. What happened in Manchester reminds us of the extent of international negligence for joint work in the face of extremism and terrorism.
“We must intensify our efforts and our work and not wait until terrorist operations become a reality which nations and peoples accept,” he said. “We cannot change our lives. We must work better as countries to end this, and to fully sympathise with our British friends and the families of the victims. The UAE will not hesitate in confronting these challenges. “
The meeting was attended by Mohammad Hareb Al Muhairbi, UAE non-resident Ambassador in Kyrgyzstan.
