Third Senior Officials’ Meeting of UAE-EU Cooperation Arrangement Held in Abu Dhabi

The third Senior Officials’ Meeting (SOM) between the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) was co-chaired by H.E. Ayesha Al Suwaidi, Director of the European Affairs Department at MoFAIC, and H.E. Carl Hallergard, Managing Director for the Middle East and North Africa in the EEAS.

The meeting, which focused on sectoral exchanges, was held as part of the Cooperation Arrangement between the EEAS and MoFAIC signed in January 2018.

The two sides welcomed progress in the implementation of the Cooperation Arrangement, which has contributed to boosting cooperation in a number of policy areas, including economy, trade, COP28, energy security and energy transition, counter-terrorism, development cooperation, and humanitarian assistance. The UAE and the EU also noted the importance of COP28 in further elevating EU-UAE relations. 

Engagement between various sectors took place across three working groups: Trade and Economic Diversification, Security and Counter-Terrorism, and the Global Agenda. Main topics included bilateral cooperation on trade and economic issues, energy transition, sustainability, climate change, security, , and development cooperation and humanitarian assistance.