HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, hailed the strong relations between the UAE and France following the visit of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. He also stressed that the upcoming Yemeni negotiations in Sweden is a first step on the road to a political solution between the legitimacy and the rebels, provided that the Houthi militias have the seriousness necessary to resolve the crisis.
"This visit comes in the year of Sheikh Zayed," HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed said in an exclusive interview with Sky News Arabia, which coincided with the visit of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. Sheikh Zayed and French President Giscard are the foundations of this relationship, and we believe that this relationship has evolved since its time ».
"The relationship between Paris and Abu Dhabi has grown significantly, and we believe that the trade exchange reached more than 10 billion dollars," he said.
"At the same time we see that this relationship is based on trust between His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed and French President Emmanuel Makron. We noted them during their meeting and dialogue and even continued communication ».
"Today, we see many opportunities for this relationship, but these opportunities come with increasing ties of rapprochement between the two countries, whether in political or other aspects," he said, stressing that the region faces many challenges, both in Iraq and in Syria and Libya.
"There is a similarity between the two countries in these files. I believe that the more we pass these challenges, the stronger this relationship is," he said.
"I think the most important issue is how we can counter extremism," he said. This is a thorny and difficult issue, but there is a Franco-Emirati harmony to confront this scourge and fight it and work together to end this scourge. "
On Yemen, His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed said that the coalition of support for legitimacy in Yemen has worked hard since the first day to revive Yemeni political dialogue, and that any solution needs to be based on political grounds.
"We are working with sincere efforts to create this atmosphere, but we need a Yemeni framework supported by the countries of the region and the United Nations, which we support their efforts, and we believe that the international envoy is a prominent effort in this."
"We look forward to the Stockholm talks. May not be the final round of these negotiations, but we hope to be the basis for more serious negotiations by Houthi if he is serious in resolving the Yemeni crisis ».
His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, said that the position of the coalition to support the legitimacy is to defend the rights of Yemenis and protect them, and provide the best ways to live. "Ultimately, the Yemeni issue or any issue in the world must be resolved at the negotiating table. Any regional or international endeavor is to create the appropriate environment to give elements of dialogue to reach the desired end. Had it not been for Iranian intervention in Yemen, we would have seen the Yemeni crisis long overdue with less losses and a stable situation for our brothers in Yemen. "
"Iran is a neighboring country and a country worthy of being like any other country that wants to develop and serve its people, but the Iranian leadership did not prioritize serving the Iranian people," he said.
He said he believed that Iran could be a partner to the region and would serve its citizens if it took an approach that focused on development, peace and stability instead of spreading chaos in the region. "I hope there will be minds that want stability in Iran and the region to change this Iranian approach," he said.