Senior US delegation meets Sheikh Mohammed, vows to strengthen bilateral ties

A senior US delegation met with the UAE’s newly elected president, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, on Monday, where they stressed Washington’s commitment to deepening bilateral ties.

“I am here leading the presidential delegation on behalf of the President and the American people and our administration to express our condolences to a friend and to a partner, the United Arab Emirates,” Vice President Kamala Harris told reporters on Air Force II.

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She said the delegation was in the UAE to “reaffirm the shared commitment we have to security and prosperity in this region.”

Harris added that the US would continue to work to strengthen the relationship with the UAE.

The US delegation included the top US diplomat, Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, CIA chief William Burns and other senior White House officials.

During her meeting with the UAE president, Harris discussed the legacy and memory of Sheikh Khalifa, “who was a good friend of the United States and a trusted partner across multiple Administrations,” the VP’s office said in a readout of the meeting.

She also congratulated Sheikh Mohammed on his election as UAE President and underscored the Biden administration’s commitment to deepening ties to “advance the interests of the American and Emirati people in the months and years ahead.

“The Vice President noted that she is looking forward to the future of the relationship under Sheikh Mohammed’s leadership, and that our friendship and partnership is enduring.”

UAE Ambassador to the US Yousef Al Otaiba thanked Harris the visiting US delegation for their visit. “The visit was warmly received and deeply appreciated, marking the continuity and strength of UAE-US ties,” Otaiba said in a statement carried by the UAE Embassy in Washington.

Read more: ‘Great loss’: Top US officials mourn UAE’s Sheikh Khalifa