Abu Dhabi, SPA:
His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, cochaired the second meeting of the Saudi-UAE Coordination Council here yesterday.
At the beginning of the meeting, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed stressed strength of Saudi-UAE relations citing the formation of the council and its great positive results.
He said, "Today we have 20 common areas of development in the fields of economy, security, human development and others."
The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi said that "our joint economy ranks 16th globally, and we can work together to become one of the top 10 economies in the world, as foreign investments currently exceed $ 250 billion in various economic sectors, and our investment funds are ranked first in the world, and we will increase our investments to be one of the top ten countries to invest globally. Our financial markets exceed $ 720 billion, and we seek to be one of the top ten financial markets in the world."
He stressed that this unique model of integration is not only beneficial to both countries, but also boosts Gulf Cooperation Council cooperation, and provides an exceptional model for Arab-Arab cooperation and puts the two countries in a distinguished position on the map of global alliances.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince delivered a speech in which he said, “It is my pleasure to convey the greetings of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to his brother, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates, and best wishes for the health of His Highness and for progress and prosperity of the brotherly Emirati people.
"We are delighted to be present among our brothers to participate in the second meeting of the Saudi-UAE Coordination Council, which is a model platform to achieve the visions of the two leaderships towards deepening cooperation and enhancing integration between the two countries in various fields to serve the interests of their brotherly peoples and deepen the brotherly ties that unite our two countries. I am also happy to be with you in our second country on the occasion of the UAE National Day.
"The strong relations between the leaderships and peoples of the two countries are based on solid and historical foundations of political cooperation towards regional affairs and world issues. This was reflected in the harmony of the vision of the Saudi-UAE Coordination Council with the national strategy of the two countries, the integration of visions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (Vision 2030) and the UAE Vision (2021), which aim to achieve lasting leadership and prosperity for the two peoples, build hope and promote progress in region.
The year 2020 is the year of achievement for both countries. We are on the threshold of hosting a major international event that we have reached after planning, work and continuous effort. Saudi Arabia's presidency of the G20 in 2020, and the UAE's hosting of the Expo 2020, are the best proof of what both countries have. I take this opportunity to announce that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has invited its sister UAE as a guest at the 2020 Summit in Saudi Arabia.
"In this Council, we aim to achieve an exceptional model of joint cooperation based on the strengths of the two countries and the spirit of determination, leadership and creativity enjoyed by the peoples of the two countries.
"The second meeting of the Saudi-UAE Coordination Council comes as a continuation of this march and joint efforts to achieve the aspirations of the citizens of the two countries, in light of the continuous follow-up of the leadership of the two countries to the proceedings of the Council and the achievements made on the ground, and the impact it has had on the citizens of both countries. Together, we seek to assess all areas of cooperation and launch innovative and new initiatives that contribute to a positive impact for both countries, and continue the remarkable effort that has been made in the past.
"In conclusion, I would like to reiterate my thanks to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, for his great efforts in achieving this cooperation."
HRH the Crown Prince thanked officials from both sides for their efforts.
During the meeting, Minister of Economy and Planning and Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Saudi side, Mohammed Al-Tuwaijri stressed that the success of the Council and its initiatives depends on sponsoring and supporting the leaderships of the two countries and their shared vision to achieve the happiness and prosperity of the two brotherly peoples and inspire us to continue to create new opportunities that contribute to the economic and human development of the two countries.
A number of bilateral agreements were exchanged between the Governments of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
A memorandum of cooperation in the field of health was exchanged between the Ministry of Health in the Kingdom and the Ministry of Health and Community Protection in the UAE. The Saudi side was represented by Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and on the UAE side by the Minister of Health and Community Protection Abdulrahman bin Mohammed Al Owais.
The two sides also exchanged a memorandum of cooperation in the cultural field.
A memorandum of cooperation was also exchanged in the field of space activities for peaceful purposes. The Saudi side was represented by the Minister of Economy and Planning, Mohammed bin Maziad Al Tuwaijri, and the UAE side by the Minister of State for Higher Education and Advanced Skills and Chairman of the Emirates Space Agency, Dr. Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Falasi.
The two sides also exchanged a memorandum of cooperation in the field of food security.
Later, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, signed in the palace visit register on this occasion.
His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan were briefed on a presentation of seven initiatives of the Saudi-UAE Coordinating Council.
The presentation included the initiative of establishing refineries and petrochemical complexes in the developing markets (India Refinery Project) presented for the Saudi side by Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Minister of Energy, and the UAE side by the Minister of Energy and Industry Eng. Suhail bin Mohammed Al Mazrouei.
An initiative to facilitate the flow of traffic between the two countries was presented.
The two sides made a presentation on the initiative of cooperation in cybersecurity.
A Food Security Initiative and an initiative of issuing and using a digital e-currency on an experimental basis were presented.
A joint tourist visa initiative and a Saudi-Emirati Youth Council initiative were presented.
HRH the Crown Prince and the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi signed the minutes of the second meeting of the Saudi-UAE Coordination Council.
Thereafter, commemorative photos were taken on the occasion of members from both sides.
The meeting was attended by a number of senior officials from both sides.