Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed heads UAE delegation to GCC-US Summit

RIYADH, 21st May, 2017 (WAM) -- The GCC-US Summit began today in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of Saudi Arabia, welcoming GCC leaders and US President Donald Trump.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, headed the UAE delegation to the GCC-US Summit.

The leaders discussed strategic relations between the GCC countries and the United States of America and ways to boost them to achieve common interests, in addition to discussing regional and international issues, especially with regard to the security and stability of the region.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan conveyed the greetings of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan to King Salman and the leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, and to the US President, along with his hopes that the GCC-US dialogue supports mutual interests and promotes security, stability and peace in the Gulf region and the Middle East.

On the occasion of the summit, Sheikh Mohamed emphasised that the strategic relations between the GCC countries and the United States of America have many elements to develop and continue in spite of the great changes that have taken place over the past years in the regional and global arenas, in addition to those in America itself.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed said that the summit clearly reflects the importance of the GCC countries on the regional and global arenas and their pivotal role in dealing with the region's issues in cooperation and coordination with its allies and friends in the world, at the forefront of which is the US. The summit also stresses the central location of the Gulf region in US policy and the interest of the US administration to listen to the leaders of the GCC countries on the overall situation in the Middle East and the world.

H.H. pointed out that the summit was taking place under critical situations in the Middle East region, therefore, it is an important opportunity to exchange views and visions among GCC leaders and President Trump on regional issues, particularly the security of the Arab Gulf, terrorism and the complicated crises in Syria, Yemen, Libya, Iraq and Lebanon, Iran's interventions in the region.

It also tackled the stumbled peace process between the Palestinian and Israeli sides, as well as the role that the United States and the GCC States can play in formulating joint strategies to deal with these issues and crises.

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed also added that the UAE is one of the pillars of the GCC-US dialogue thanks to its strong relations with the United States of America and the great respect and esteem it enjoys in both the US and international arenas, as well as being a key element of stability in the Middle East and an important part of dealing with issues and files.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan expressed his great appreciation for the role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, for working on promoting joint Gulf action, stressing the UAE's fraternal relations with the Kingdom and their standing together in defending Arab interests.

The UAE's delegation to the summit also included H.H. Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, National Security Adviser, H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ali Mohammed Hammad Al Shamsi, Deputy Secretary-General of the Supreme National Security Council, Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority, Yousef Mana'a Saeed Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to the United States of America and Mohamed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Under-Secretary of the Crown Prince's Court of Abu Dhabi.