Biden affirms ties with UAE in first call to Sheikh Mohamed
US President Joe Biden held his first call with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.
The two discussed regional issues and reaffirmed the long-standing partnership between the US and the UAE.
During the call on Tuesday, Mr Biden’s second to a Gulf country since taking office, the bilateral relationship and critical foreign policy priorities for Washington were discussed.
Mr Biden sought “to reaffirm the long-standing partnership” and congratulated Sheikh Mohamed on this year’s 50th anniversary of the UAE’s formation.
Mr Biden reflected on collaborative efforts on a variety of issues, including space, climate, defence and security. Clean energy and environmental protection were also discussed.
“Our two nations continue to strengthen our strategic relations and build on strong common interests,” Sheikh Mohamed said on Twitter.
They discussed regional and global challenges, including “the common quest for de-escalation and peace” in the region, the White House said.
Mr Biden “underlined the strategic importance of the normalisation of relations between the United Arab Emirates and Israel” after the signing of the Abraham Accord.
He “expressed his full support for strengthening and expanding these arrangements”, the White House said.
Dr Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the President, Sheikh Khalifa, said the call demonstrated the strong ties between the UAE and the US.
“US President Joe Biden’s call with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and the visits of officials from the US legislative and executive authorities to Abu Dhabi this week shed light on the broad and distinct strategic bilateral relations,” he said on Twitter.
“The essence of communication is the great appreciation for the pivotal role of the UAE in the stability and prosperity of the region.”
The call follows a visit by a senior US delegation to Abu Dhabi at the weekend, led by White House and State Department officials Brett McGurk and Derek Chollet.