Gargash: UAE does not seek confrontation with Turkey or Iran

UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash denounced extremist movements in the name of Islam

Dr Anwar Gargash said the country would embark on a review of human rights to ensure they were up to global standards. Victor Besa / The National

The UAE does not agree with the foreign policies of Turkey and Iran but does not seek confrontation with either country, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs said on Monday.

Dr Anwar Gargash called the behaviour of Ankara and Tehran destabilising.

“Bringing an end to this interference will also make it easier to achieve the peaceful resolution of conflicts in the region,” he said during the annual Abu Dhabi Strategic Debate, which was held online by Emirates Policy Centre.

Dr Gargash also highlighted the distinction between political Islam and Islam as a global religion.

He made reference to the terrorist attacks in France and Austria by extremists within the past two weeks.

“These extremist, transnational ideological movements do not represent Islam in any way,” he said.

“They are a threat to all open and tolerant societies.”

Dr Gargash praised US bipartisan approval of the Abraham Accord, which were brokered under the Donald Trump administration, and said the UAE-US relationship “crosses parties and spans administrations”.

He reaffirmed the Emirates’ position towards the Palestinian cause.

The peace accord “does not diminish in any way our concern about the plight of the Palestinian people,” he said.

Dr Gargash said the UAE has repeatedly said the status quo regarding the Palestinian issue should change, and that the UAE’s normalisation of relations with Israel will provide it with a bigger political say in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

“The UAE stands ready to support that in any way it can. Indeed, we may be better positioned to do so now that we have formal relations with Israel,” he said.

On December 2, the UAE will mark its 49th anniversary.

“It is not by accident that the UAE has been able to respond with efficiency and compassion to the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.

Dr Gargash praised the country’s leadership in creating an infrastructure that made this and other achievements possible.