Sheikh Mohamed shakes hand with Ursula von der Leyen during a meeting in Abu Dhabi. File/X @vonderleyen

President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan discussed in a telephone call today with Her Excellency Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, various aspects of cooperation between the UAE and the European Union, and ways to enhance these relations to serve the mutual interests of both parties.

During the call, the two sides reviewed a number of issues of mutual interest, with a particular focus on developments in the Middle East and the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. They affirmed the importance of the initiative recently announced by the UAE, Cyprus, the European Commission, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States regarding the activation of a maritime corridor to deliver much-needed humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. They stressed the need to build on and integrate with other initiatives and efforts aimed at providing sufficient and sustainable assistance to the residents of Gaza.

During the call, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed emphasised the UAE’s commitment to working with various parties, including the European Commission, to ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip amidst the challenging humanitarian situation faced by its people, which requires urgent and collective action to address.

His Highness highlighted the importance of working towards an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, avoiding further escalation in the region, and advancing towards a fair and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution.

The President of the European Commission conveyed her gratitude for the significant contributions of His Highness and the UAE in delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza, and affirmed the European Commission's strong desire to work closely with the UAE to further these efforts.

WAM