UAE security chief: Warm ties with Tehran top priority

Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of the United Arab Emirates made the comment during a Monday meeting with his Iranian counterpart Vice Admiral Ali Shamkhani in Tehran. 

“Iran as a vast and powerful country in the region has a unique geopolitical standing and is the crossroad link between the eastern and the western parts of the world,” he said.

“Development of warm and brotherly ties between Abu Dhabi and Tehran is among the priorities of the UAE.”

“It is necessary [for the two sides] to form specialized working groups to carefully outline the areas of cooperation in the different economic domains, identify existing obstacles and remove them,” he said.

Shamkhani also said lasting stability and security is only possible through constant dialogue and cooperation among regional countries. 

“Warm and friendly ties with neighboring countries and exchange of economic, trade and investment potentials is the main priority of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s foreign policy,” Shamkhani said.

The top security official also underlined that relations among regional countries should not be affected by the meddling policies of the extra-regional countries.

“Persian Gulf countries, if they cooperate and work together, can ensure development and welfare for their own nations, while playing a key role in the economy of the region and the world, as energy hubs,” he said.

“To end disputes, talks and understanding should replace military approaches,” he added. 

Relations between Iran and the United Arab Emirates soured after the Emirates joined Saudi Arabia in its war on Yemen in 2015. Bilateral relations further worsened after Abu Dhabi signed a normalization deal with Israel. However, the two sides have shown signs of a de-escalation in tensions over the recent months.