Sharjah 24: Sheikh Fahim Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Department of Government Relations (DGR) in Sharjah, held discussions with John Le Fondré, Chief Minister of Jersey, to enhance collaboration in several fields including the environment, and the protection of natural reserves and archaeological sites.
The meeting, held at the Buhais Geology Park in the emirate, was attended by Sheikh Majid Al Qasimi, Director of DGR; Peter Jackson, Architect Advisor in His Highness the Ruler's Office, Sharjah; Hana Saif Al Suwaidi, Chairperson of Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA) in Sharjah; and Rawda Al Katbi, from Buhais Geology Park.
The two sides explored ways of extending scope of cooperation in the maintenance, protection and promotion of geological and archaeological sites and discussed how the Jersey government could benefit from Sharjah’s expertise in this field. The meeting also examined the development of a joint action plan for cooperation and expertise exchange between the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust in Jersey and Sharjah's EPAA.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the Jersey delegation toured the Buhais Geology Park and was briefed on its exceptional geological and archaeological features that date to more than 125,000 years.
Sheikh Fahim Al Qasimi said: "Sharjah has extensive experience in sustainably preserving its valuable environment and heritage resources. Furthermore, the emirate is known for its well-protected nature reserves and its leading status as a pioneer in eco-cultural tourism on a regional level. Our diverse experience and journey in this field have been recognised internationally, and we look forward to sharing our collective knowledge and best practices with the Jersey government.”
Sheikh Fahim emphasised Sharjah’s keenness on exchanging expertise with cities and countries of the world, including the Government of Jersey. He added: “Jersey is known for implementing progressive legislation that firmly addresses environmental challenges and had made advanced contributions to the conservation of wildlife and environment protection, and waste management and water pollution."
Expressing his gratitude for the warm welcome, John Le Fondré, stated that the strong and dynamic relationship between UAE and Jersey goes back many years, and have led to growth and partnership opportunities in many areas. “Today, we are here in Sharjah to expand on this relationship and move our collaboration away from commercial services into areas concerning the environment, culture and heritage.”
He said that the many outstanding heritage sites in his country could benefit from Sharjah’s experience in maintaining and preserving its cultural heritage. He added that the visit also seeks to build on the strong foundations of talks and discussions held previously by representatives of the two sides.
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