UAE 29th National Day [Archives:2000/49/Local News]

On 2nd December, the United Arab Emirates celebrated the successful completion of 29 years as a full member of the community of nations.
Established in 1971, the federation has seven member emirates, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ras al-Khaimah, Fujairah, Umm al-Qaiwain and Ajman and is located in south eastern Arabia. Led since its inception by the President, His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nahyan, it has enjoyed both political stability and the benefits of substantial oil and gas reserves, permitting the government to implement a major program of economic and social development that has made the UAE one of the worlds fastest developing states. It has, at the same time, made its mark in the international arena, adopting a balanced and coherent foreign policy that has sought to find ways in which the country, with an area of only 83,600 sq.km , and with a population of only around 3 million, can contribute effectively to the pursuit of peace and progress.
During the course of the last year, one key focus of the countrys foreign policy has been the continuing struggle to secure the restoration of three of its islands in the Arabian Gulf, Abu Musa and Greater and Lesser Tunb, which were occupied by Iran shortly before the UAE was established. In the face of an obdurate attitude from Iran, which has refused even to accept that there is an issue of sovereignty to discuss, the UAE has continued to propose either a reference of the issue to the International Court of Justice or a resort to bilateral negotiations, provided these take place with a definite agenda and a timetable for completion. A three-member committee has been established by the Arab Gulf Cooperation Council, GCC, of which the UAE is a member, to seek to find ways of breaking the diplomatic impasse.
A belief in collaboration with other countries of a similar approach has continued characterize UAE foreign policy over the course of the year. A key part of this, of course, has been the pursuit of greater co-operation and understanding between the countries of the Arab world. The UAE supported wholeheartedly plans for the calling of an Arab summit conference to heal the rifts within the member states of the Arab League, and played a full role in the October summit in Cairo, called to discuss the collapse of the Middle East peace process in the wake of the Israeli military assault on the Palestinian people. While making plain its firm opposition to Israeli policy, the UAE continues to support any moves that can bring about a full and final peace settlement, including the recognition of Jerusalem, a holy city for Muslims and Christians, as the capital of the independent Palestinian state-to-be.
In another step designed to contribute to the re-establishment of co-operation between all of the Arab states, the UAE has also continued to call for the re-integration of Iraq into the Arab fold. While it believed that an end to the suffering of the Iraqi people is ultimately in the hands of their Government, the UAE called during the year for an end to the international sanctions against Iraq.


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