UAE Signs Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia

The UAE participated in the 55th Foreign Ministers Meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is taking place in the Kingdom of Cambodia from 30 July to 6 August 2022. In a high-level ceremony on the sidelines of the meeting, the UAE signed ASEAN’s Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC), and obtained Sectoral Dialogue Partner (SDP) status in the Association.

Deputizing for H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the UAE was represented at the signing ceremony by His Excellency Dr. Abdulnasser Alshaali, Assistant Minister for Economic and Trade Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The accession to the TAC testifies to the shared values and advanced ties between the UAE and ASEAN member states and international partners. The signing of the TAC is also aimed at strengthening UAE relations with ASEAN, mainly by paving the way for enhanced trade and investment cooperation and laying the groundwork for strategic partnerships in pursuit of mutual and regional prosperity.

The UAE participation in ASEAN 55th Foreign Ministers Meeting reflects its firm belief in the importance of multilateral cooperation and active engagement with international and regional organizations such as ASEAN. Following the signing ceremony, the UAE received ASEAN Secretariat’s official confirmation that it has successfully obtained the Sectoral Dialogue Partner (SDP) status in the Association. Through its potential role as a Dialogue Partner, the UAE is poised to play a pivotal role in catalyzing joint economic initiatives and forging partnerships with ASEAN member states and partners in the fields of trade, investment, tourism, digital transformation, and healthcare.

The UAE's efforts to sign the TAC and join ASEAN as an SDP are part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation broader comprehensive Asia strategy, which derives its objectives from the UAE Principles of the 50 and the Leadership vision to expand the UAE’s economic footprint at the regional and global levels.

The Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia is a peace treaty among Southeast Asian countries established by founding members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, an economic organization of 10 Member States: Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, Myanmar, Philippines, Vietnam, and Laos.