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President Sheikh Mohamed on Tuesday received Antonio Costa, President of the European Council.
During their meeting, which came on Mr Costa’s visit to the UAE as part of his regional tour, the two leaders discussed the Iran war and its implications on regional and international security, state news agency Wam reported.
They agreed that Iranian attacks targeting civilians and non-military infrastructure in the UAE and across the region constitute a breach of international law.
Mr Costa stressed the European Council’s solidarity with the UAE and countries in the Middle East regarding measures being taken to safeguard security.
“In my meeting with President Sheikh Mohamed, I expressed my gratitude for the assistance and attention given to the safety of the 200,000 EU citizens living in the UAE,” he wrote on X.
“We discussed how the EU and the UAE can co-operate more closely to bring stability back to the region and protect our shared interests. The EU is committed to working with partners in the region to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, guarantee the safe passage of ships around the Arabian Peninsula and to support all diplomatic efforts for lasting peace in the Middle East.”
The two men also reviewed various aspects of co-operation between the UAE, the European Union and its member states, highlighting their support for negotiations on a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and Strategic Partnership Agreement.
Mr Costa earlier announced that he was in the Emirates kicking off a two-day tour of the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
He wrote: “I come with three messages for our Gulf partners: we stand in full solidarity in the face of Iran’s indiscriminate, unjustifiable, and unlawful attacks; we are a reliable partner for the Gulf countries and are ready to contribute; by working together, we can support a comprehensive strategy for lasting peace in the Middle East through negotiation and diplomacy.”
