Mohammed bin Rashid starts official visit to Poland

Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has started an official two-day visit to Poland.

H.H. Sheikh Mohammed is accompanied by H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and Chairman of Emirates Group; Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research; Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy; Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani, Director-General of the Court of Dubai Ruler; Lt General Musabbah Rashid Al Fattan, Director of the office of Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai; Mohammed Ali Al Abbar, Chairman of Emaar; Khalifa Saeed Sulaiman, Director-General of Dubai Protocol Department; and Asem Mirza Ali Al Rahma, Ambassador of the UAE to Poland.

H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and his delegation was accorded an official welcome at the Presidential Palace where he was greeted upon arrival by the President of Poland, Bronislaw Komorowski, Polish ministers and senior officials and diplomats of Arab and other countries.

H.H. Sheikh Mohammed and President Bronislaw inspected the guard of honour after the national anthems of the UAE and Poland were played.

Later, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed and President Bronislaw held official talks on a number of bilateral, regional and international topics of common interest to the two countries. They also discussed ways of expanding cooperation in sectors like higher education, agriculture, agricultural research and marketing, tourism and joint investments.

Welcoming H.H. Sheikh Mohammed and his accompanying delegation, the Polish president underscored the deep relations and friendship with the UAE at the popular and official levels. He also stressed the interest that Poland's leadership, government and people have in advancing these relations to yet wider spheres and higher levels to serve the interests of the two friendly countries and their peoples.

He also noted that the great progress that the UAE has made in various spheres has made it an important country, both regionally and internationally. He described the UAE as Poland's important partner in the region and a gateway to the Middle East and North Africa.

H.H. Sheikh Mohammed commended the democratic and civilisational development achieved in Poland since its independence. He expressed the UAE's desire to further enhance bilateral relations with Poland as a European partner.

He also explained the basic principles of the UAE's foreign policy, based on friendship and cooperation with all states, mutual respect, promotion of the foundations of peace and stability in the region and the world through peaceful solutions to bilateral disputes and dialogue away from armed conflicts and violence.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid underscored the development of bilateral relations between the UAE and Poland in the spheres of economy, culture, tourism and investment partnership along with political consolidation on regional and international issues of common interest to the two countries.

Domestically, he added, the UAE's policy is founded on overall development, establishing peace and social and economic stability for all members of its society that is culturally and religiously diverse.

He noted that the UAE leadership and government seek to make citizens happy by providing means of decent living for all, across the country through sustainable development, particularly in areas such as knowledge-based economy, enhancing competitiveness to promote innovation and creativity in all spheres.

Later, His Highness the vice president and prime minister of the UAE and the Polish President witnessed the signing ceremony of agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) between their countries.

These included an MoU on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), signed by Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy of the UAE, and Janusz Piechocinski, Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy; an MoU on agriculture, food safety and agricultural marketing, signed by Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the UAE, and Marek Sawicki, Polish Minister of Agriculture & Rural Development; and an MoU on higher education and scientific research signed by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research of the UAE, and Lena Kolarska-Bobinska, Poland's Minister of Science & Higher Education; an agreement on tourism cooperation signed by Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the UAE, and Tomasz Jedrzejczak, Undersecretary of State at the Polish Ministry of Sports and Tourism.

H.H. Sheikh Mohammed and President Komorowski gave their blessings for the agreements and described them as a prelude to a new phase of bilateral relations, which saw notable growth over the past five years in particular. They also underscored the importance of cooperation between the private sectors of their two countries as a source of support for bilateral relations and the establishment of investment partnerships in various spheres, such as tourism, real estate, trade, industrial, agricultural and technological sectors.

Members of the delegation accompanying H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and Polish ministers and officials attended the official talks and the signing ceremony.