Abdullah bin Zayed participates in Belt&Road Initiative meeting

The meeting, which was chaired by Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, reviewed the prospects of strengthening international cooperation in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of accelerating economic recovery from the crisis.

Addressing the meeting, the UAE top Diplomat extended his sincere thanks to the People's Republic of China for organising this conference during these significant times, which, he said, will contribute to "shaping decades ahead, and determining the future route of our economy and societies.

"Historical studies show that epidemics and disasters, while causing unfortunate human losses and huge economic costs, have also been major turning points of social and economic changes for the better. Looking ahead requires us to move effectively from response to planning, and to work together towards progress and prosperity."

Sheikh Abdullah added that the conference themes represent the main headlines of economic recovery and beyond. "Climate change, green investments and renewable energy are our top priorities today.

"It is clear that today we face a growing gap between the goals set to address climate change, and the investments required to achieve them, which demands joint efforts to ensure sustainability of supply chains and investment flows."

He affirmed that the UAE believes in the importance of its cooperation with China, the Belt and Road Initiative and the Asian-Pacific countries as a key incentive to advance the climate change agenda.

"Our extraordinary interest in this field has led us to declare our desire to host the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2023. Here, I would like to reaffirm that this will be added to our efforts, which have previously resulted in hosting the International Renewable Energy Agency and strengthening our investments in renewable energy sector across the world."

The UAE top diplomat added that achieving UAE's ambitions in the next phase depends on working together with the international community to move forward. "It is essential to ensure the production and fair distribution of vaccines.

"The UAE and China have established a model strategic partnership in this regard, including an initiative to develop and produce "Hayat-Vax" vaccine in UAE. We are proud of what has been achieved, yet we still have much more to do."

Concluding, Sheikh Abdullah expressed hope that the Belt and Road Initiative will play a significant role in ensuring the production and fair distribution of vaccines.