United Arab Emirates' Ambassador to Viet Nam, H.E. Ahmed Ali Almualla.

(VNS) The United Arab Emirates is to celebrate its National Day on December 2. Ambassador to Viet Nam H.E. Ahmed Ali Almualla commentsThe National Day Cel-ebrations have al-ways been a patriotic and social occasion making a great impact on United Arab Emirates (UAE) citizens. This year, a series of spectacular events, projects and programmes have been planned to celebrate the UAE's 41st National Day both at home and abroad. Running from November 25 up to December 3, it will be a great opportunity to promote the national identity and salute the nation's rich history, culture and achievements.

Over more than forty years, the journey of union and development of the UAE has affirmed the prudent vision and the valid decision by the Founding Father of the UAE – His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan – the first President of the UAE. With prudent vision, he used his insight into the future and decided to choose the union way to open a new era – the United Arab Emirates.

In line with Sheikh Zayed's vision, the federal state of the UAE keeps moving forward under the leadership of President Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Vice President/ Prime Minister Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum to attain glorious achievements in all areas of life as well as enlarge its influence and reputation in the region and wider world. Nowadays, there are 200 nationalities living in harmony in the UAE, which has become as an ideal place for investment, tourism and employment promotion.

 

Panorama: The Sheikh Zayed Mosque is located in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. — Courtesy Photos of United Arab Emirates Embassy

Next year, we will mark the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United Arab Emirates and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam. Over the past two decades, we have been delighted to witness the fine relationship between the two nations consolidate and diversify. Under the direction of both countries' leaders, a large number of high-ranking visits, business trips, friendly exchanges have taken place and reflected the huge potential for our partnership. Nowadays, UAE is one of Viet Nam's most important partners in the Middle East and Viet Nam can also serve as a gateway for the UAE to South East Asia. On the other hand, both sides always stand to support and co-ordinate with each other at international forums.

Earlier this year, Emirates Airlines, one of the world's fastest growing airlines, expanded its global network with the start of a nonstop, daily service between Dubai and Ho Chi Minh City. Meanwhile Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, will launch direct flights from Abu Dhabi to HCM City by October next year, a move that will shorten the distance between Viet Nam and our region.

Through Etihad and Emirates' services, Viet Nam is connected to our global network, which includes many destinations in Asia, Europe, Africa, South America, and the Indian Ocean region. The new flights will further support joint co-operation and partnership by the two countries in the areas of energy, agriculture, infrastructure, tourism, civil construction and manpower.

We are hugely impressed with the bilateral trade volume that has rapidly increased year-on-year and reached over US$1.5 billion during the first eight months of 2012 (up 95 per cent compared with the same period last year), keeping the UAE as the largest market for Vietnamese exports in the Middle East. There are more and more prominent groups and businesses from the UAE looking at Viet Nam as an ideal destination for their international investment portfolios with total investment capital reaching nearly $4 billion. Meanwhile, UAE businesses and companies recruit a large number of Vietnamese employees – who play a major role in the development of the UAE – and look forward to increasing that figure in the near future. We strive to strengthen the efficient co-operation between the private sector as well as trade and investment agencies on both sides, with a view to activating various agreements and MoUs signed between the two countries. We are pleased to know that many companies from the UAE participated in trade fairs and exhibitions held in Ha Noi, such as the Viet Nam Expo 2011. It was also encouraging to see that Vietnamese companies attended international trade fairs in the UAE over the past year. In the coming time, the UAE will strengthen its efforts to appeal to international friends around the world in supporting our bid to host the World Expo 2020 in Dubai under the theme "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future". It is expected that this event will be the first to be hosted by an Arab city.

On this occasion, I would like to express our sincere thank to Viet Nam News Agency for your kind co-operation with the UAE Embassy on many events.

Our sincere thanks also go out to the UAE Red Crescent Society, the Dar Al Ber Society, Sheikh Khalifah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foundation – Abu Dhabi, Mubadala Petroleum, Borouge group and many individuals who have raised, through the UAE Embassy in Ha Noi, more than US$ 1.3 million, for impoverished people in Viet Nam's southern areas. — VNS