ABU DHABI: The UAE participated in the 55th Foreign Ministers Meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
During the meeting, which is taking place in Cambodia from 30th July to 6th August 2022, the UAE signed ASEAN’s Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia (TAC).
Dr. Abdulnasser Alshaali, Assistant Minister for Economic and Trade Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, represented the UAE at the signing ceremony (MoFAIC).
Alshaali emphasized the UAE’s shared values and deep ties with ASEAN member states in his remarks.
“The signing of the TAC reflects the UAE’s keenness to strengthen and advance economic relations with ASEAN countries,” the assistant minister said.
Alshaali addressed global challenges that highlight the growing importance of multilateral cooperation, particularly within regional and international organizations like ASEAN. He also stated that signing the TAC is the final step in the UAE’s application to become an ASEAN Sectoral Dialogue Partner (SDP).
“As the UAE completes the final step in the process of obtaining SDP status, it is essential to underline the mutual benefits that this partnership will bring notably, the impetus it will provide to our joint efforts to address pressing issues at the regional and global levels, including climate change, food and energy security, and the sustainability of the healthcare sector,” Alshaali said.
He emphasized the UAE’s potential partnership with ASEAN and its member states’ tangible contributions, particularly in trade, investment, tourism, digital transformation, and healthcare.
The UAE’s efforts to sign the TAC and join ASEAN as an SDP are part of the broader strategy of MoFAIC and the UAE’s Principles of the 50 framework, which focuses on building long-term and effective partnerships with countries and multilateral organizations.
The Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia is a peace treaty signed by the founding members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, an economic organization of ten member countries: Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Laos.