UAE WARNS THAT TURKEY AND IRAN HOLD COLONIAL HOPES FOR REGION
▶ Russian foreign minister in Abu Dhabi says his country and UAE have ‘identical positions’ on battling terrorism
Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, has warned Iran and Turkey against colonial ambitions in the region.
Speaking alongside Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov in Abu Dhabi yesterday, Sheikh Abdullah said Turkey and Iran had a “colonial outlook on the Arab region” and were undermining Syrian sovereignty.
As fighting in Syria was winding down in areas, he urged countries to make the most of the opportunity to reach a political solution to the Syrian conflict.
Mr Lavrov said that Russia “wants to see a full implementation of UN resolution 2245 to combat terrorism and start a political settlement with the good will of the Syrian opposition”.
While his visit to the UAE – part of a three-nation tour in the Gulf which includes Kuwait and Qatar – has mainly focused on the continuing diplomatic crisis involving Doha, neither minister mentioned the dispute.
Instead they focused on the Syrian crisis, with Mr Lavrov praising Saudi Arabia’s efforts in supporting the peace process.
“We encouraged Moscow and Cairo platforms to work together and we will do our best to encourage the participation of all platforms,” he said.
Mr Lavrov was referring to peace talks in Riyadh this month, which brought together Syrian opposition groups under the Saudi-backed High Negotiation Committee, and Egypt and Russia.
“Russia is ready to help Saudi Arabia to merge the three main opposition platforms,” the minister said.
Sheikh Abdullah also thanked Russia for its efforts in “convincing the Moscow platform to participate in Riyadh peace talks”.
The Riyadh talks on August 21 were an effort to unite opposition delegations under UN security council resolution 2254, which outlines a road map for a peace process in Syria, while setting a timetable for talks between government and opposition members.
But that meeting ended in stalemate with the fate of president Bashar Al Assad still an obstacle in forming a unified front for peace talks.
Mr Al Assad’s fate has long been a key sticking point, with the negotiation committee insisting on removing him but the other two camps adopting a softer stance.
Mr Lavrov said the issue of the president’s future was “important for engaging armed opposition in peace discussions”.
Along with Syria’s opposition, the Russian defence minister agreed to establish a de-escalation zone north of the battered city of Homs early this month.
Mr Lavrov also affirmed that Russia and the UAE have “identical positions” on fighting terrorism in the region.
“We need more time to see progress on peace talks in Syria,” Sheikh Abdullah said.
“Peace can’t be established without gaining steps in fighting terrorism.”
During his visit Mr Lavrov also met Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
“We discussed further steps to consolidate co-operation in the fields of energy, finance and military,” the Russian minister said.
Sheikh Mohammed and Mr Lavrov discussed ways in which UAE and Russia could boost their bilateral ties.
“Relations between the two countries have much evolved recently. We hope that this year they will grow stronger,” Sheikh Abdullah said.
The conflicts in Libya and Yemen were also discussed.
Russia and the UAE agreed on the need for surrounding states to respect international law, state sovereignty and the territorial integrity of states, while also consolidating the efforts of the international community in combating terrorism and extremism.
Sheikh Abdullah and Mr Lavrov agreed to continue close foreign policy co-ordination between Moscow and Abu Dhabi in the interest of maintaining regional and global stability. Also at the talks was the National Security Adviser, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed.