New UAE president meets Macron, Johnson as world leaders stream in

The United Arab Emirate’s new president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, met his French and British counterparts Sunday as world leaders supplied congratulations and paid tribute to his late predecessor.

French President Emmanuel Macron, on the maiden overseas journey of his second time period, was the primary of a variety of Western leaders to satisfy “MBZ”, the oil-rich Gulf state’s long-time de facto ruler who was appointed on Saturday, a day after the loss of life of his ailing half-brother Sheikh Khalifa.

He was adopted later by British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who supplied his commiserations on Sheikh Khalifa’s loss of life and his congratulations on the presidency, an official instructed AFP. Queen Elizabeth II additionally despatched her congratulations.

Israel’s president and the king of Spain have been additionally scheduled to satisfy Sheikh Mohamed on Sunday, with US Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken due on Monday.

The high-level visits replicate the elevated affect wielded by the UAE within the Center East and additional afield as a consequence of its wealth, oil sources and strategic location.

– Lengthy line of leaders –

Sunday’s visitor checklist additionally included Qatar’s emir, Bahrain’s king and the Palestinian, German and Indonesian presidents, amongst greater than 20 senior figures.

Sheikh Mohamed, 61, has managed the levers of energy since 2014 when Sheikh Khalifa, his 73-year-old half-brother, was sidelined by a stroke. The reason for his loss of life was not introduced.

Below Sheikh Mohamed’s low-key path, the rich UAE has emerged as a frontrunner of a reshaped Center East, forging ties with Israel and becoming a member of a Saudi-led battle towards Iran-backed rebels in Yemen.

His shut ally, Saudi Arabia’s de facto chief Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, known as to congratulate him and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted to commend his “dynamic and visionary management”.

Chinese language President Xi Jinping additionally despatched his congratulations, promising to work to “deepen the great strategic partnership” between the 2 international locations.

– Flags at half-mast –

Sheikh Mohamed was chosen to move the federal government of the desert state in a unanimous vote Saturday by leaders of the nation’s seven emirates, as had been broadly anticipated.

Flags are at half-mast across the nation, which is observing 40 days of mourning for Sheikh Khalifa, who took over in 2004 after the loss of life of his father, founding president Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan.

Macron, in his talks with Sheikh Mohamed, expressed his “honest condolences to his household and the individuals” over Sheikh Khalifa’s loss of life, in keeping with the French presidential workplace.

“The United Arab Emirates are a strategic accomplice for France, a truth that’s borne out by the diploma of our cooperation in areas as diversified as defence, tradition and training,” it added.

Blinken and Harris’s go to on Monday may assist restore ties strained since US President Joe Biden changed Donald Trump within the White Home.

The 2 sides have been at odds over points together with Abu Dhabi’s refusal to sentence Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Washington’s reopening of nuclear talks with Iran, lengthy accused by Gulf states of making regional chaos.

Each Macron and Johnson have been making their second visits to Abu Dhabi in latest months.

Johnson’s go to in March didn’t persuade the UAE and Saudi Arabia to pump extra oil after Russia’s battle in Ukraine despatched markets into turmoil.

The UAE signed a 14-billion-euro contract for 80 Rafale warplanes throughout Macron’s earlier go to in December.