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28 March 2024

'UAE will spare no effort in helping Arab nations to live in peace and stability'

General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. (FILE)

Published
By Wam

General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has stressed that the UAE will spare no effort in helping Arab nations to live in peace and stability and to overcome foreign interference and destructive schemes that threaten to undermine.

Gen. Mohamed told the 'Nation Shield' journal on the 39th anniversary of the Unification of the Armed Forces, that the UAE doesn't seek to promote its political position, but rather aspires to contribute to restoring balance in the region by restoring stability and security.

Following is the full text of Gen. Mohamed' speech:

Members of the Armed Forces,

On a day like this, 39 years ago, our Armed Forces joined arms and stood under one banner and one flag to defend a nation that was built with the bare hands of Emirati men and women. Thirty-nine years later, our brothers and sisters continue to serve this great nation by joining the ranks of the Armed Forces, defending the UAE's achievements and deterring its enemies. Today, we celebrate the Anniversary of the Unification of the Armed Forces in peace, prosperity and vigilance.

On this occasion, I would like to extend my greetings to His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, along with their brothers the Members of the Supreme Council, the Rulers of the Emirates.

My greetings are also extended to every single member of the Armed Forces. I salute your hard work, your patriotism and your selfless and boundless giving. Your nation is proud of you, appreciates your contributions and prospers because of your bravery and courage.

The story of the unification began in 1976, when the members of the Supreme Council, led by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the father of the nation, took the historic leap of unifying our armed forces as part of their pursuit to strengthen the federation and bolster its foundations. The founding fathers believed that the spirit of the union demanded the full integration of our institutions. It was this belief that inspired the historic decision to unify the Armed Forces under one banner and one command. The decision fulfilled the aspirations of our people.

As we speak, members of our Armed Forces are taking part in Operation Restoring Hope as part of a coalition formed to preserve the constitutional legitimacy of Yemen. The participation came on the heels of Operation Decisive Storm where members of our Air Force performed heroically. Our Armed Forces are also effectively participating in the international effort to combat the menace of the so-called Islamic State, the barbaric terrorist group that has wreaked havoc in Iraq and Syria. We are filled with pride for the heroic actions of our airmen and airwomen who have carried out these missions.  We salute them for defending our nation and safeguarding the peace and development that we have worked so hard to achieve.

Make no mistake, this participation is a translation of the principles of our foreign policy, which is based on fairness and aims at guaranteeing the security and stability of the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council. These principles are inspired by the charters of the United Nations and the Arab League as well as the rules of international law.

The Middle East faces a number of security challenges that threaten the sovereignty, integrity, and even the existence, of several Arab countries. Therefore, we understand that our responsibility is not limited to our homeland, and feel a great sense of responsibility towards the security of our sisterly Arab nations. Our support towards maintaining the security of Arab people is consistent with the longstanding and unshakable policy of the UAE, under the leadership of the President, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The UAE will spare no effort in helping Arab nations to live in peace and stability and to overcome foreign interference and destructive schemes that threaten to undermine them and spread chaos. 

By playing this role, the UAE doesn't seek to promote its political position, but rather aspires to contribute to restoring balance in the region by restoring stability and security. Violence, chaos and destruction come at extremely high costs for the peoples of the region; at the expense of their growth and development. We must support the stability of our region, maintain its security and bring it back to its prosperous self.

As we celebrate the 39th Anniversary of the Unification of the Armed Forces, we are also taking further steps to firm up the foundations of our nation and bring the duties of citizenship to new levels. National service has become a reality and young Emirati men and women have met its call without hesitation. They have answered the call realising that this sacred duty would bring them closer to the spirit of their homeland, deepen their sense of responsibility, and provide them with new experiences. Our young men and women have raced to be part of history and to strengthen the glory of this nation with their own hands. They have responded to the call of duty with great passion and vigour. Their immense enthusiasm has overwhelmed me with pride.

These men and women represent a vital source of new energy for our Armed Forces. I am confident that the sons and daughters of our nation will work hard and make every possible sacrifice to protect this nation and safeguard its great achievements of peace and development. National service is a duty that every citizen should fulfill as part of his or her loyalty to the nation and its leadership, and our men and women have done nothing short of that.
 
Members of the Armed Forces,

You are playing an essential role in the development of the United Arab Emirates by defending its security and stability and deterring those who dare to think of causing it harm. Your hard work, day and night, means that the rest of us can live in peace to think, work and innovate. Your role is even more vital at this juncture where we are confronted by tremendous security challenges, resulting from the resurgent threat of terrorism and the menace of violent and extremist groups, which roam freely in some countries and attempt to infiltrate others. These groups aim to force their rejectionist agenda and dogmatic ideas on others.

The UAE stands in sharp contrast against this ideology. The UAE has exerted ceaseless efforts to bring about peace and security to the region and to safeguard its peoples' aspirations. As part of this effort, our Armed Forces have participated in a number of foreign missions, including joining peace-keeping forces in crisis-affected countries, carrying out humanitarian missions in areas struck by natural disasters, and taking up a combat role. We have been filled with pride as our fellow citizens in the Armed Forces have carried out missions against terrorist organisations and defended the constitutional legitimacy of Arab nations.

I could not stress more that these missions stem from our interest in supporting the unity and integrity of nations and the ambition of people to live a peaceful and prosperous life. Furthermore, the UAE takes special interest in guaranteeing the basic rights of the region's peoples against the tyranny of terrorist groups that live off killing innocent civilians. There is also no doubt that these most recent missions have honed the combat experience of our Armed Forces and enhanced their readiness to tackle potential threats.

The United Arab Emirates has played a major and effective role in combating terrorism and its propagators, internally and externally. The UAE's anti-terrorism strategy is based on countering extremist groups and acts of terrorism, and bolstering the intellectual battle against fundamentalism by spreading the values of moderation, coexistence and tolerance, as well as openness and dialogue between faiths and civilisations. We have also backed important international initiatives to help eradicate extremism and fanaticism, and lent support to the international community to achieve peace, security and stability, both regionally and internationally. Our Armed Forces play a key role in the implementation of this strategy by supporting regional and international efforts against terrorism.

Members of the Armed Forces,

By serving as a shield to your nation and defending the integrity and unity of its land, you are making a great contribution to the UAE's journey towards achieving sustainable development. You are the first and last line of defence for this nation and its achievements. Your very presence stirs fear in the hearts of those who would entertain harming our great nation.

The constant modernisation plans put forward by our Armed Forces contribute greatly to this journey towards development. An integral part of these plans is encouraging our national defence industry to manufacture advanced defence systems and combat equipment that can compete with the latest developments in defence technology in the world.

The UAE is already taking bold steps towards building a world-class defence industry. Our companies are already manufacturing state-of-the-art defence systems that compete with established players in this highly competitive industry. International demand for our products serves as a testimony to that.

Our defence industry is undoubtedly contributing to the building of a more sustainable and diversified economy in addition to making the country more independent when it comes to decision-making and strategic planning. It is of great importance to the UAE's leadership that this industry is giving our citizens the opportunity to work in such a highly innovative sector.

The UAE has a bold vision to become an increasingly self-sufficient defence manufacturer so that our local sector can supply the Armed Forces with more of its needs. We realise that achieving this goal is no easy task, and that it will require hard work and perseverance. However, in light of our current capabilities and with the help of the well-trained and innovative Emiratis that serve this sector, I am confident that we will be able to realise this ambitious vision.

Members of the Armed Forces,

Our union has made great leaps to place our nation on a par with powerful countries; not only militarily, but also socially, economically, politically and culturally. An important source of power for our young nation is the role it plays as an inspiring example for nations aspiring to take on the path of development. Nations that aspire to develop should also seek to be powerful for power safeguards prosperity and growth.

The UAE has made great leaps towards realising this concept of power. Politically, we have become active and influential in our region and around the world.

Economically, the UAE has a robust economy with the capacity to absorb economic shocks and continue to grow. Socially, we have a cohesive society that celebrates diversity and a sense of belonging to the union and the nation. Culturally, the UAE has become an important intellectual, artistic, and literary hub through its conferences, events and cultural initiatives. Militarily, the UAE boasts a strong, modern Armed Forces capable of protecting its sovereignty and maintaining its integrity.
 
And because we believe that military power is an essential element of a comprehensive understanding of power, and that military power helps to shield our economic, political and social achievements, we are also building an Armed Forces for the future that is able to confront challenges and deter those who seek to harm the security of our nation.

The effort to modernise our Armed Forces is based on a strategic vision that has three main elements, i.e., human capacity building, which is the most important part of this strategy. Without trained personnel able to use arms effectively, no military equipment will be of any use. The UAE spares no effort in building the capacity of the members of its Armed Forces by providing the latest and most efficient training programmes. Introducing National Service has helped bring new people into our Armed Forces and provided them with valuable skills and experience, supplying the Armed Forces with advanced equipment. The UAE seeks to acquire the latest and most advanced defence systems from the international market and from our own defence companies, and maintaining innovation in weapons and training. Innovation ensures that we always look for the best and continue making advancements. Joint exercises carried out with friends and allies are a further important element that hone the skills of our forces and improve their combat readiness.

It is important to point out that modernising our Armed Forces and strengthening them aims first and foremost at defending our nation and the integrity of its territories; it aims at defending the spirit of the union against enemies; it also aims at defending the achievements and development of the UAE, and repelling those who intend to cause our nation any harm. Cooperation with the international community towards making our world a better place is a further key goal for our Armed Forces.

It is also important to stress that the nature of current strategic threats and challenges at this historic juncture requires the Armed Forces to maintain the highest degree of vigilance and readiness to defend our nation and deter those who conceal their ill intentions towards our beloved nation, our brothers and sisters in the GCC states and the Arab world and its peoples.

Rest assured that we will continue to combat the ideas and organisations of terror in all of their forms and locales. We will also continue to confront malicious schemes that aim at achieving expansionist ambitions at the expense of Arab states and their historical and religious heritage and national resources.

To conclude, I could not stress more that the regional developments and ensuing strategic changes should serve as a catalyst towards boosting the operational, armament, training and planning capabilities of our Armed Forces. These changes should also lead us to shore up the capacity and readiness of our citizens in the Armed Forces, who display undivided loyalty to their nation and leaders.

May our nation always be united. May our nation flourish in security, stability and prosperity. May our Armed Forces continue on the path of development, innovation and enduring strength.