ABU DHABI // Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, welcomed the US secretary of state, John Kerry, to the capital on Monday.
The two men discussed a number of issues, including ways to stregthen bilateral ties, the state news agency Wam reported. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the Foreign Minister, was also present.
Among the topics touched upon were ways to improve regional security and peace, the humanitarian crisis in Syria, the recent Geneva 2 talks on Syria and the situation in Egypt.
“The two sides also discussed the talks between Iran and the Group 5+1 in Vienna next week, which seek to reach an inclusive agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme,” Wam said.
Mr Kerry will visit Paris this week to meet the Palestinian Authority president, Mahmoud Abbas. They will discuss Mr Kerry’s efforts in the Israeli-Palestine peace accord.
“The Palestinian positions are known and we have reiterated them at all the meetings with Kerry and his advisers,” a Palestinian official said – the meeting is scheduled for Wednesday.
Other officials at the meeting in Abu Dhabi included Yousef Al Otaiba, the UAE Ambassador to the United States, and Michael Corbin, the American ambassador to the UAE.
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Monday's results
- UAE beat Bahrain by 51 runs
- Qatar beat Maldives by 44 runs
- Saudi Arabia beat Kuwait by seven wickets
The biog
Born November 11, 1948
Education: BA, English Language and Literature, Cairo University
Family: Four brothers, seven sisters, two daughters, 42 and 39, two sons, 43 and 35, and 15 grandchildren
Hobbies: Reading and traveling
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (c), Chamani Senevirathne (vc), Subha Srinivasan, NIsha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Esha Oza, Ishani Senevirathne, Heena Hotchandani, Keveesha Kumari, Judith Cleetus, Chavi Bhatt, Namita D’Souza.
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
