Blitz Bureau
The United Arab Emirates and the United States of America held the fourth session of their Joint Consular Committee in Washington on September 10, to enhance and bolster cooperation in all joint consular fields.
The meeting was chaired by Khalid Abdulla Belhoul, Under-Secretary of the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Hugo Rodriguez, Acting Assistant Secretary at the Bureau of Consular Affairs in the US Department of State.
Khalid Belhoul conveyed the greetings of Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and his praise for the positive developments between the two countries. He stressed the UAE’s commitment and interest in strengthening and further developing the relations between the two countries, reflecting the wise leadership’s aspirations and directives.
Khalid Abdulla Belhoul praised the historic relations that linked the UAE and the US since 1972 and the distinguished and strategic solid ties built upon mutual understanding and respect. He also expressed the UAE’s appreciation of the efforts made by the US side to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries, which witnessed remarkable progress in all fields in recent years.
Khalid Abdulla Belhoul reiterated that the UAE and the US succeeded in establishing an advanced and sustainable model for their strategic relations, which resulted in many qualitative achievements in several sectors. The achievements made within the framework of bilateral relations between the two countries encourage them to move forward towards greater achievements, aimed at attaining common development goals and reach mechanisms and solutions for a future rich in cooperation and partnerships in the consular field.
The two sides also discussed a number of common consular issues related to citizens affairs, and proposed several initiatives aimed at streamlining services to meet the expectations and aspirations of their citizens, while fulfilling the strategic plans of both countries in the consular field.
Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs & Port Security, as well as counterparts from the competent authorities in the US, took part in the meeting.
