President of Austria receives Amal Al Qubaisi

President of Austria Heinz Fischer received today at the Hofburg Imperial Palace in Vienna Dr. Amal Abdullah Al Qubaisi, Speaker of the Federal National Council (FNC), and her accompanying delegation.

Dr. Amal Al Qubaisi conveyed to President Fischer greetings of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and their wishes of further progress and prosperity for the people of Austria.

President Heinz Fischer reciprocated the greetings, wishing the same for the UAE's leadership and expressed his country's keenness to strengthen cooperation with the UAE in all fields. He praised the UAE's economic progress and wise policy of seeking international peace, security and stability.

The President of Austria also applauded the recent structural changes in the government of the UAE, particularly the move to introduce portfolios for tolerance and happiness, as well as appointing the world's youngest minister for youth affairs.

He further praised the steps taken by the UAE towards empowering women, making them proactive partners in the sustainable development process. He congratulated Dr. Amal Al Qubaisi on her election as the speaker of the FNC and as the first woman speaker in the Arab world and the Middle East.

Dr. Amal Al Qubaisi emphasised the deep-rooted ties between the UAE and Austria and their keenness to develop them, particularly in political, parliamentary, economic, cultural, educational and investment fields.

The meeting touched on the importance of enhancing cooperation in vital sectors such as culture, arts, sustainable development and renewable energy and discussed current regional and international developments in Arab countries such as Yemen, Syria and Libya.

At the outset, the two countries agreed that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations should be rejected. They also shared the view that there is need to enhance international cooperation and coordination to combat terrorism through an international strategy that takes into consideration the security, intellectual and political aspects to eradicate terrorist groups and to cut off their funding sources.

Dr. Amal Al Qubaisi highlighted the role played by the Saudi-led Arab Coalition and the UAE's participation in the efforts to combat terrorism, to support the Yemeni people against oppression and aggression and to re-establish a legitimate regime there.

The meeting was attended by Abdul Aziz Al Zaabi, 2nd Deputy Speaker of the FNC, and Ali Jassem, member of the FNC.

Source :WAM