The Diplomat
Spain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed yesterday in Abu Dhabi a cooperation agreement in the field of security and the fight against crime.
The agreement was signed by the Emirati Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Saif bin Zayed, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Arancha Gonzalez Laya, who began a tour of the Persian Gulf countries in the capital of the Emirates.
González Laya began her day yesterday with a visit to the Spanish School in Abu Dhabi, capital of the UAE, where she announced the upcoming opening of a Cervantes Institute in the Arab country, although she did not reveal the date.
After that, he met with Saif bin Zayed, with whom he signed the aforementioned agreement, and moved to Masdar City, an innovative project in Abu Dhabi, which aims to be a role model for urban centers with a reduced impact on the environment and “clean” technology, reports Efe.
According to its creators, from the Mubadala investment fund, it is “one of the most sustainable urban communities in the world”, where “real solutions” are applied in the efficient consumption of water and electricity, as well as in transportation and waste management.
The minister also met with the director general of the International Renewable Energy Agency, Francesco La Camera, which is based in the Emirates.
Apart from clean energy and innovation, González Laya learned about the reality of women in Emirati institutions from the Minister of Culture and Youth, Noura al Kaabi, and the secretary general of the state-owned General Women’s Union, Noura Khalifa al Suwaidi.
Finally, she met with her counterpart, the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Abdullah bin Zayed Nahyan, with whom she discussed the “close bilateral relations in the political, economic and cultural fields,” according to the Spanish Foreign Ministry’s Twitter account.
After this stopover in the UAE, the tour will continue in Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Monday and Tuesday. In all three countries, González Layas seeks to boost the presence of Spanish companies, especially in sectors such as the petrochemical industry, water treatment, infrastructure and tourism. In addition to “economic diplomacy”, political dialogue will be on the table, both at the level of bilateral relations with each of the states, as well as at the regional level of the Persian Gulf and the Arab world.
