United Arab Emirates and Ireland hold the First Round of Political Consultations in Abu Dhabi to mark the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations

Wed 23/4/2025
General

The United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Ireland convened the inaugural round of political consultations in Abu Dhabi. The session was co-chaired by Her Excellency Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Assistant Minister for Political Affairs, and His Excellency Gerard Keown, Director General and Political Director at Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs.

The consultations mark a significant milestone in the UAE-Ireland bilateral relationship, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic ties between the two countries. Both sides highlighted developments achieved across diverse sectors and reaffirmed their shared commitment to deepening ties. H.E. Nusseibeh noted the forward-looking partnership built on shared values and expansion in cooperation in diverse areas of mutual interest from water, food and energy security, to Artificial Intelligence and space research to cooperation in the multilateral arena.

Discussions in the consultations addressed how to accelerate cooperation across a range of vital sectors, particularly trade and investment. The continuous growth in bilateral non-oil trade, which has increased by 9% in 2023, will be compounded by the positive decision to launch the negotiations towards a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the UAE and the European Union (EU).

The two sides also discussed viewpoints on key regional and international developments, with particular focus on the Middle East Peace Process, European security, and developments in the Horn of Africa with a focus on promoting de-escalation and diplomacy across these conflicts.

Both sides expressed their appreciation for the open and constructive discussions and agreed to continue holding consultations on a regular basis as part of ongoing efforts to advance shared objectives and deepen political engagement.

Attendees on the UAE side included: H.E. Omran Sharaf, Assistant Minister for Advanced Sciences and Technology, H.E. Mohammed Homoud Alshamsi, UAE Ambassador to the Republic of Ireland, Reem Ketait, Deputy Assistant Minister for Political Affairs, Shaima Gargash, Director of Energy and Sustainability Department, and Hind AlShraim, Deputy Director of European Affairs Department. 

Attendees from the Irish side included: H.E. Alison Milton, Irish Ambassador to the UAE, and Sean O’Regan, Director of Gulf and Middle East Unit, Department of Foreign Affairs in the Republic of Ireland.

Related News

Fri 02/5/2025
General
UAE Hosts World Bank’s Global Flaring and Methane Reduction Steering Committee Meeting in Abu Dhabi

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), hosted the World Bank’s Global Flaring and Methane Reduction (GFMR) Steering Committee Meeting on 29–30 April 2025 at the Abu Dhabi Energy Center.

View Details
Fri 02/5/2025
General
UAE Continues High-Level Engagements on the Road to the 2026 UN Water Conference

This month, the United Arab Emirates continued to deepen its global engagements on the road to the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, which it is honored to co-host with the Republic of Senegal

View Details
Fri 02/5/2025
Minister News
Abdullah bin Zayed receives Foreign Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina

H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, today received in Abu Dhabi Elmedin Konaković, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

View Details
Fri 02/5/2025
General
UAE Delegation Visits Finland to Expand Cooperation in Critical, Emerging, and Advanced Technologies

A UAE delegation led by His Excellency Omran Sharaf, Assistant Foreign Minister for Advanced Science and Technology, has concluded a successful two-day mission to Helsinki, Finland

View Details
Did you find this content useful?

You can help us improve by providing your feedback about your experience.

Have you used our services at our service centre or digitally recently?