His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, held an important bilateral meeting with United States President Barack Obama in Europe yesterday. Below is a readout of the meeting from both Emirates News Agency-WAM and The White House press gaggle, as well as today’s Foreign Policy op-ed by U.A.E. Ambassador to the U.S. His Excellency Yousef Al Otaiba discussing the close U.S.-U.A.E. relationship and importance of increased U.S. cooperation with Gulf States.
Mohamed bin Zayed meets with US President
25 March 2014
Emirates News Agency – WAM
The Hague, 25th March, 2014 (WAM) — His Highness General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces met today with US President, Barack Obama, on the margin of the Nuclear Security Summit 2014 (NSS) which concluded today here.
During the meeting, they discussed friendship relations and strategic cooperation between the UAE and the US.
The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and President Barack Obama exchanged views on a number of issues of mutual interest for the two countries and for their shared vision to enhance the existing partnership for the benefit of the two friendly peoples and countries.
They also discussed the latest developments of the Syrian crisis and its repercussions on the region and the international security and peace as well as the efforts made to put an end to the suffering of the Syrians.
Sheikh Mohamed was briefed by Obama on the ongoing talks between Iran and the 5 +1 group on Iran’s nuclear programme, in addition to the US efforts regarding peace negotiations in the Middle East.
At the end of the meeting, the two sides underscored the importance of stepping up efforts to maintain peace and security in the Middle East and to support stability in the Arabian Gulf.
They also affirmed the continuation of discussions and consultations on issues of common interest between the two countries.
Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority, Yousef Al Otaiba, ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to the United States of America and Mohamed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Under Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince’s Court attended the meeting.
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Press Gaggle by Senior Administration Officials en route Brussels, Belgium
Aboard Air Force One
En Route Brussels, Belgium
25 March 2014
Office of the Press Secretary
The White House
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: I can give you a readout of the two bilats and then I can give you a quick preview of the speech tomorrow, because I know people are interested in that. So with that, I’ll turn it over to my colleague and boss here.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Hey, everybody. I’m going to give you a brief readout of, in the first instance, the bilateral with Mohammed Bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of UAE, and then the trilateral with the President of Korea and the Prime Minister of Japan.
The first meeting with Mohammed Bin Zayed was very warm and cordial. It was an opportunity for the two leaders who have spoken a number of times on the phone of late to actually have the opportunity to, in person, discuss developments in the region, to reaffirm the strategic significance and importance of our bilateral relationship and the United States’ vital role in the Gulf region.
The Crown Prince made absolutely clear that our strategic interests are aligned, as did the President of the United States, and that even when we may on occasion have tactical differences, that, in fact, whether we’re talking about Egypt or Iran or Syria or any of the pressing issues of the day in the region, fundamentally we have shared interests and shared objectives, and we’re cooperating every day on a full range of issues — the economic agenda, the security agenda, the energy agenda, and to promote the counterterrorism agenda, to promote greater peace and stability in the region.
It was also an opportunity for the President, on the eve of his travels to the Gulf, to hear directly from a valued partner of the United States about the situation there and to have the opportunity to share perspectives on what would be the most fruitful in terms of his visit down in Saudi Arabia.
Q: On the UAE meeting, you said that he shared perspectives on what would be most fruitful for the President to do and say in Saudi Arabia. What kinds of things did he suggest?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Well, I’m not going to get into the private conversations between the leaders, but I think obviously the countries in the Gulf place particular importance on Saudi Arabia as a political and spiritual leader of the region, and they’re very much appreciative of the fact that the President will travel to Saudi Arabia and have the opportunity to spend in-depth time with the King of Saudi Arabia. And so the discussion was about the value that all of the leaders of the region attach to that.
Q: In the UAE meeting, when they discussed the upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia, to what extent did energy issues play a role in the agenda?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Touched upon but not central.
Q: And dealing with the Syrian rebels in terms of arming them or providing other types of assistance?
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL: Obviously, Syria was on the agenda, and the importance of our bilateral as well as regional cooperation to deal with the threat that Assad’s continued atrocities pose to all of us but also dealing with the extremist threat were on the agenda.
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Argument: The Asia Pivot Needs a Firm Footing in the Middle East
Why Washington can’t afford to neglect its friends in the Gulf.
By: Yousef Al Otaiba
26 March 2014
Foreign Policy
President Barack Obama heads to the Gulf this week at a time of major geopolitical turmoil, with events in Crimea and Russia dominating the headlines. None of this disorder is American-made, of course, and none will be solved by America on its own. But as the U.S. president will hear during his visit, American leadership is still as important to global stability and security as it ever was, and nowhere more than in the Middle East.
Recently, that leadership — and the security partnerships that bolster it — have been tested and strained. Now facing ever more complex regional challenges from Egypt’s transition to a potential nuclear deal with Iran, the president can use his meeting with Saudi King Abdullah this week to signal a new phase of engagement with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and other regional allies of the United States.
“Those who used to chastise America for acting alone in the world cannot now stand by and wait for America to solve the world’s problems alone. We have sought — in word and deed — a new era of engagement with the world,” Obama said in his 2009 speech at the United Nations. We welcomed that sentiment then and embrace it as enthusiastically now.
So what should this engagement look like today? It starts with a strong U.S. reaffirmation of our shared vital interests in the Middle East. It is a long and difficult “to do” list that includes containing the Iranian nuclear threat, challenging extremism and fighting terrorism, stabilizing Egypt, ending the violence in Syria, advancing an Arab-Israeli peace, and protecting energy supplies and international shipping.
It also requires better communication. At a working level, there is a constant and productive rhythm of cabinet-level meetings and senior official visits. But relationships in the Middle East are built on personal contact, and maintaining a candid and vibrant dialogue with regular leader-to-leader contact is essential.
For our part, we understand that the path forward is close collaboration with the United States and other regional allies.
For our part, we understand that the path forward is close collaboration with the United States and other regional allies. A strong partnership is essential. In meeting shared threats, we will share the burden. Gulf defense capabilities have improved dramatically, and we are committed to investing even more. Gulf states have a range of sophisticated U.S.-made defense equipment on order; they are jointly deploying advanced missile defense systems; and our militaries continue to train and operate closely together.
In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), we know also that a security partnership can only be strengthened by constant interaction. The UAE has proved its value and commitment both on and off the battlefield, alongside the United States. As a five-time participant in multinational peacekeeping coalitions, we have been fighting together for more than 12 years in Afghanistan, and in Libya we conducted joint air missions. Ongoing UAE-U.S. intelligence cooperation has disrupted illicit money and arms flows. And joint naval and air operations maintain freedom of navigation in the Gulf.
U.S. relationships in the Middle East, of course, are rooted in more than just shared security interests. There are ever stronger cultural and commercial ties. In 2013, Gulf states imported more than $50 billion in U.S. goods and services, and they have hundreds of billions of dollars invested in America. U.S. universities and cultural and medical institutions such as New York University, the Cleveland Clinic, and the Guggenheim have outposts throughout the region. And tens of thousands of our students are attending colleges throughout the United States.
In short, there is a lot that binds us together. And we have to continue to count on each other to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead in what is still the most dangerous of neighborhoods. As friends and allies, we may not agree on every issue or every tactic, but there are urgent initiatives that we can work on together that set the stage now for more positive developments later. These include: cooperating on an economic stabilization plan for Egypt, shutting down money flows to the extremist opposition in Syria, building governance capacity in Libya, and joint planning for the “day after” the Iran talks conclude — deal or no deal.
When Obama visits, the president will be reminded that in the Gulf we still see the United States as an irreplaceable pillar of regional security. With unsteady neighbors, expansionist dreamers, and violent nonstate actors all around us, we cannot go it alone. We need friends; and no friend is more important to us than Washington.
In turn, the United States should know that we are eager and willing to contribute to our collective security interests. While the talk out of Washington continues about a “pivot to Asia,” U.S. energy independence, and new budget priorities, very few in the Middle East truly believe the U.S. commitment is waning. Even so, it is important for the president to reaffirm America’s sustained commitment to the region during his visit.
Yet we are realistic — all partnerships must adapt with the times. But we also know that the vital interests that connect us — the threat of aggression and terrorism, the benefits of trade and commerce, the values of peace and moderation — remain as strong today as ever before.
