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It’s been a busy few days for the UAE on the diplomatic front, with talks with Sudan, Slovenia, and Croatia, as well as cooperation with China and more post-war plans for Gaza.
#1- President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed bilateral ties and Sudan’s 15-month war with army chief and de facto ruler General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan via a phone call in their first public communication in months, Wam reports. The two heads also reviewed a mediation offer from Ethiopia to broker a ceasefire between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Reuters reports, citing diplomatic sources in the know.
#2- The General Civil Aviation Authority inked an MoU with China’s Civil Aviation Authority to boost air connectivity between the two countries’ airports and enhance bilateral air transport relations, Wam reports. The agreement was signed during a round of air services consultations held in Beijing last week.
REMEMBER- Talk that the UAE and China have been eyeing potentially ramping up bilateral air traffic after years of stagnation has been swirling for a while. The two countries want to boost flights beyond the current 56 per week per country ceiling, although no specific cap has been disclosed yet.
Who benefits: Emirates, currently operating its maximum of 35 weekly flights to China, stands to benefit significantly, alongside China Southern Airlines, which flies to the UAE 20 times per week.
#3- UAE + Slovenia hold political consultations: An Emirati delegation, led by Director of European Affairs Abdulrahman Ali Al Neyadi, met with Slovenian officials in Ljubljana for the second round of political consultations, Wam reports. The meeting saw the two delegations highlight the role of cooperation between the two countries on both bilateral and global fronts.
#4- The UAE is prepared to send troops to Gaza in a multinational stabilization mission after the war ends, Special Envoy to the Foreign Ministry Lana Nusseibah told the Financial Times, making the UAE the first country to announce its intention to deploy national forces to Gaza postwar. Nusseibah said that Abu Dhabi has held talks with the US regarding the plan and will participate in the mission provided that the US leads the mission and it receives an invitation from “a reformed Palestinian Authority (PA), or a PA led by an empowered prime minister.”
Nusseibah discussed the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza with Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib at her office last week in Brussels, ahead of the second round of political consultations between the two countries, Wam reports. The two officials also explored bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
IN MORE DIPLO NEWS-
- Foreign Affairs Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed strengthening bilateral ties and cooperation with his Croatian counterpart Gordan Grlić-Radman during a phone call. (Wam)
