Germany-UAE strategic partnership complemented by people…

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ABU DHABI, 15th December, 2022 (WAM) — Germany’s strategic partnership with the UAE is complemented by people-to-people exchanges that help build lasting friendship.

“During the visit of German Chancellor Olaf Schulz this September, he discussed with President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan the revitalization, revitalization and modernization of the German-UAE Agreement signed in 2004 The approach of the strategic partnership agreement, which is the backbone of our bilateral relationship, said Alexander Schönfelder, the new German ambassador to the UAE.

50th Anniversary of the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations

In an exclusive interview with WAM at the German embassy in Abu Dhabi, he added that within the framework of the strategic partnership agreement, the two countries have just agreed to a climate partnership, “which of course also includes that Germany will spare no effort to make the COP 28 [the UN climate conference] Great success next year in the UAE. “

The envoy emphasized that Germany’s relations with the UAE are very deep and enduring. “We have just celebrated the 50th anniversary of the relationship between Germany and the UAE, and of course we are always working hard to expand our relationship.”

Regarding future relations, the ambassador asserted, “The UAE is a forward-looking country that offers various opportunities for German companies. Germany and the UAE will continue to cooperate in areas such as renewable energy, technology, digitization, artificial intelligence, robotics Domain builds resilience.”

people-to-people exchange, tourism

In addition to this, Schönfelder emphasized that people-to-people connections are very important for the work of the German diplomatic mission in the UAE.

The three German schools in the UAE – Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah – are good examples of platforms that bring Germans and Emiratis together.

“German kids meet Emirati kids every day. I think that’s exactly how cultures bond and grow together and create lasting friendships between our two countries. These human connections are crucial [for bilateral ties] That’s what we’re trying to promote,” said Schoenfeld, who was most recently special envoy.

“We have to build stronger bonds between our people and of course tourism is one aspect of that.”

The ambassador emphasized that the UAE’s hosting of Expo 2020 Dubai underscores that the UAE is a very modern and dynamic country.

As a result, more and more German tourists are coming to the UAE, he said, adding that many Emirati tourists will also go to Germany.

The UAE as a regional cultural hub
Schönfelder confirmed that the UAE is redefining itself as an important cultural hub for the region.

“So, this is a very important thing for our future collaborations in the field. We would like to see this expand to higher education.”

Germany has a lot to offer in the field of university education and has an excellent vocational training system that many German companies already offer, he said.
The diplomat noted that the UAE is developing the museum landscape at a very fast pace. “Germany is already actively supporting this development with museum education programs for young museum professionals in Arab countries.”
The ambassador was referring to SAWA (meaning together in Arabic), a joint initiative of the Sharjah Museum Authority, the State Museums Berlin and the Goethe-Institut Bay Area, and the Berlin University of Applied Sciences (HTW) to help Students come from museum studies and museum professionals from the MENA region and Germany.
The German Museum in the UAE?
According to Schönfelder, based on the fruitful cooperation in the museum’s education program, “I am waiting for a German museum to open a branch in the UAE. I think this is something that Germany might also look into.”
His dream was inspired by the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the world-renowned Universal Museum established as a joint initiative of the UAE and France.
Schönfeld, who took over as Germany’s special envoy three months ago, is impressed by the fact that the UAE’s policy of tolerance is being implemented in everyday life.
“We can see this in the Abraham Accords, which Germany strongly supported.”
He added, “The UAE is a young and dynamic country that is taking great strides into the future.”