Pakistan and the UAE aim to further boost ties

The Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have reaffirmed their resolve to further boost ties between the two countries.

On Tuesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan called for the diversification of bilateral relations between Islamabad and Abu Dhabi. The two leaders held a telephone conversation on Tuesday.

During the call, the Pakistani PM briefed the UAE President about the upcoming ‘International Conference on Resilient Pakistan’, which is co-hosted by the Pakistani government and the United Nations and scheduled to be held in Geneva, a city in Switzerland, on January 9, 2023. Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif invited the UAE President for “high-level participation” from the UAE. Climate action will be a key agenda of the upcoming conference. The ‘International Conference on Resilient Pakistan’ aims to support the resilient recovery of Pakistan from the 2022 devastating floods.

In recent years, the UAE has put efforts into sustainable development, climate action, and food security. The UAE is also set to host the 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in 2023. The UAE will address the issue of climate change.

According to a statement issued by Pakistan’s PM Office, Shehbaz Sharif thanked His Highness Sheikh Mohamed and the UAE for helping Pakistan after the recent devastation caused havoc in the country.

Under the directives of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, the UAE provided humanitarian relief aid to Pakistan after heavy rain and flash floods in 2022 affected the lives of Pakistanis. The UAE sent around 62 planes loaded with tonnes of food and medical supplies as well as tents to flood victims in Pakistan.

The UAE also launched the “We Stand Together” initiative to deliver thousands of emergency relief kits to flood victims in the Islamic nation. Around 9 humanitarian organisations from the UAE joined the initiative to show solidarity with affected Pakistani families. The UAE’s aid helped in rebuilding Pakistan from the impact of disastrous floods.

The UAE also launched mobile clinics in Sindh province in Pakistan to provide rapid medical support to people affected by floods. The UAE also built an air bridge to transfer urgent aid to the flood victims. Reportedly, back-to-back aid flights from the UAE landed in Pakistan with tonnes of medical and food supplies.

The bilateral relations between UAE and Pakistan have increased rapidly in recent years. In 2022, the two countries entered into a GtG long-term agreement for the import of petrol, jet fuel and crude oil to ensure the availability of petroleum products and provide financial ease to the country.