The sixth round of political consultations between the UAE and the Swiss Confederation was held in the capital, Abu Dhabi, chaired by Lana Zaki Nseibeh, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs, and Monica Schmutz Kirgöz, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Middle East and North Africa in the Swiss Confederation.
These consultations provided an important opportunity to highlight the strong and growing bilateral relations between the UAE and the Swiss Confederation. The two sides reviewed key achievements and emphasized their commitment to continue strengthening cooperation in various vital areas, including business, science and technology, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, water, healthcare, as well as enhancing relations between the two peoples.
Focus was also placed on ways to enhance cooperation in the fields of trade and investment. Both sides welcomed the significant growth in non-oil trade exchange rates, which saw an increase of over 40% in 2023.
The consultations also included discussions on leveraging the promising potentials of artificial intelligence in the commercial sector, with an emphasis on developing this technology in a responsible, safe, and ethical manner.
Both sides reiterated their support for international organizations, including the United Nations, as well as efforts in mediation, peacekeeping, humanitarian aid, support for development programs, and other missions. They stressed the importance of respecting international humanitarian law and reviewed their efforts in this regard, in addition to discussing their cooperation to ensure tangible and constructive outcomes during the 2026 Water Conference, which will be hosted by the UAE in partnership with Senegal.
Furthermore, the two sides discussed regional and international developments, particularly the situations related to the Middle East and North Africa region, as well as in Europe.
The consultations were attended by Imran Sharaf, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Advanced Sciences and Technology, and Dr. Hessa Abdulla Al Otaiba, the UAE Ambassador to the Swiss Confederation, as well as Arthur Mattli, the Swiss Ambassador to the UAE, from the Swiss side.