Abdullah bin Zayed meets with António Guterres

New York, The Gulf Observer: Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs met with António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN), on the sidelines of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The meeting discussed the partnership between the UAE and the UN and its organisations and programmes across various areas, including humanitarian work, renewable energy, climate action and sustainable development.

Sheikh Abdullah and the UN chief reviewed the outcomes of the UAE’s membership in the UN Security Council during 2022-2023, its major contributions to multilateral work aimed at achieving international peace and security, as well as its rapid humanitarian response, and its leading efforts and initiatives to tackle various global challenges, including climate change.

The two sides further discussed the UAE’s preparations to host the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) next November in Expo City Dubai.

In this regard, the UAE’s top diplomat affirmed that the UAE recognises the need to accelerate global response to climate change and achieve peace and security, noting that in hosting COP28, the country is looking forward to collaborating with the UN and all world nations to transform climate challenges into opportunities to drive sustainable and economic development and prosperity, securing the future of generations to come.

Additionally, Sheikh Abdullah and Guterres discussed developments in the Middle East, and exchanged views on a number of regional and global issues of mutual interest, as well as challenges impeding international peace and security.

The UAE foreign minister highlighted the UAE’s firm commitment to working with the UN to enhance security and stability globally, support efforts to find peaceful solutions to conflicts, and direct focus towards efforts to accelerate comprehensive sustainable development for all.

For his part, the UN Secretary-General thanked the UAE for its strengthened engagement with the UN and its hosting of COP28.

Attending the meeting were Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, Minister of State for International Cooperation; Ambassador Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs and UAE’s Permanent Representative to the UN in New York; Mohamed Issa Abu Shehab, UAE’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN; and Ambassador Majid Al Suwaidi, Director-General and Special Representative of COP28.