UK delegation praises UAE humanitarian aid

The Minister of International Cooperation and Development said the countries' joint humanitarian efforts were commendable.

ABU DHABI // The UAE values its humanitarian cooperation with the UK, Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister of Development and International Cooperation, said yesterday as she welcomed a British parliamentary delegation.

Sheikha Lubna said the countries worked well together in providing relief to victims of the Syrian civil war.

The British group is led by Alistair Burt, a Conservative MP who resigned as a junior foreign office minister last October, two months after the House of Commons refused to approve British airstrikes in response to chemical attacks in Syria by the Assad regime.

Sheikha Lubna said the relationship between the UAE and the UK was distinctive and deep-rooted, particularly in efforts to find solutions for international development and humanitarian issues.

The visit is aimed at enhancing bilateral cooperation at all levels. The delegation was escorted by Ahmed Al Mansouri, a member of the Federal National Council.

Sheikha Lubna said the UAE was looking forward to enhancing its relationship with the UK, and of finding ways to make humanitarian response to disasters around the world more efficient.

She also briefed the delegation on the UAE’s effort in supporting the Millennium Development Goals, and active coordination with the global community to formalise the Development Goals Agenda.

The delegation expressed gratitude for the relationship between the two countries and the increasing humanitarian and international development efforts by the UAE.

It has achieved the top position as a foreign aid donor country, according to the Official Development Assistance/Gross National Income for 2013 study.

Mr Burt said he valued the advances made by the UAE in political, cultural and social stability.

* Additional reporting from Wam