Abdullah bin Zayed holds talks with foreign ministers and senior officials on sidelines of UN General Assembly

New York: His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, held a series of bilateral meetings with foreign ministers and senior international officials participating in the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 81) in New York. Sheikh Abdullah met separately with Radosław Sikorski, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Poland; Anita Orbán, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Hungary; Sergey Lavrov, Foreign Minister of Russia; Melvin Bouva, Foreign Minister, International Business and Cooperation of Suriname; Víctor Bisonó Haza, Foreign Minister of the Dominican Republic; Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of Austria; and Rubén Ramírez Lezcano, Foreign Minister of Paraguay. The meetings reviewed a range of issues on the UN General Assembly agenda, particularly efforts to strengthen multilateral action, support international peace and security, and enhance global cooperation in addressing shared challenges. Discussions also explored opportunities to expand bilateral cooperation across the economy, trade, investment, food security, advanced technology, culture, education, healthcare, artificial intelligence, renewable energy and climate-related sectors. Sheikh Abdullah reaffirmed the UAE's commitment to strengthening international partnerships and supporting constructive dialogue and cooperation that contribute to sustainable peace, stability and development. The meetings also included an exchange of views on regional and international developments and other issues of mutual interest. Preparations for the 2026 United Nations Water Conference, which will be co-hosted by the UAE and Senegal from December 8 to 10, were also discussed, along with ways to enhance international cooperation in addressing water challenges. In a separate meeting, Sheikh Abdullah met Amon Murwira, Zimbabwe's Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, to discuss cooperation in sectors aligned with the development priorities of both countries. During the meeting, Sheikh Abdullah witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on political consultations between the UAE and Zimbabwe. The agreement was signed by Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State, and Amon Murwira. Sheikh Abdullah also met Kaja Kallas, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission. The discussions covered various areas of cooperation between the UAE and the European Union, as well as developments in the Middle East and efforts to strengthen regional and international security and peace. The meetings were attended by Reem bint Ebrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation; Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change; Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade; Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State; Lana Nusseibeh, Minister of State; Saeed Al Hajeri, Minister of State; Omran Sharaf, Assistant Foreign Minister for Advanced Science and Technology; and Ambassador Mohamed Abushahab, Permanent Representative of the UAE to the United Nations.