(Abu Dhabi) – UAE-British Teamwork held its 8th meeting chaired by both Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Alistair Burt, Minister for Middle East Affairs, South Asia. The two sides welcomed in a statement the growing relations between the UAE and the UK, indicating that they were looking forward to further boosting cooperation in next months and years. They also welcomed effective cooperation in the areas of defence and security.
The two sides welcomed the setting up of the Centre for Combating Extreme Violence, to be hosted by Abu Dhabi. They expressed the importance and functions of the centre. The UK stressed commitment to recruit experts to work at the centre. Both sides also discussed how best to ease travel procedures between the two countries, citing that the visitors to the UAE from the UK were higher compared to any other country, while about 190,000 Emiratis had visited the UK in the same year.
Gargash and Burt hoped for an early signing of the Criminal Extradition Agreement between the UAE and UK. They also discussed issues of illegal financing. The two ministers said there were many opportunities that could bolster trade and investment between the two countries. The UAE is currently the biggest host for the UK exports in the Middle East and North Africa. The two countries are working to reach the trade exchange volume of Dhs65billion by 2015.
