Al Mansouri and Oz, Greek envoys hold talks on economy, investment

ABU DHABI / WAM

The UAE’s non-oil trade with Australia stood at US$2 billion in the first nine months of 2015, making Australia one of its major strategic trading partners, Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, said during a meeting with Australian Ambassador to the UAE, Arthur
Spyrou, on Wednesday.
He said there were 48 Australian companies, 60 trade agencies and 1,081 trademarks registered with the Ministry of Economy. More than 130 flights weekly link the two countries.
Al Mansouri and the Australian Ambassador explored methods of further boosting joint co-operation in areas of economic, trade and investment, as well as in vital sectors of common interest including innovation, scientific research and SMEs. The two sides also discussed best ways to harness Australian expertise in developing solutions for water and food security which is of special interest to the UAE.
In another meeting with Dionyssios Zois, Greek envoy to the UAE, the Minister said the UAE and Greece maintain a long-standing friendship, and hoped that economic co-operation would elevate in parallel with that level so as to realise the interests of the two nations. The value of trade between the two countries reached US$165mn in the first nine months of 2015. Fifteen Greek companies, 15 trade agencies and 217 trademarks were registered with the ministry. For his part, the Greek envoy affirmed his country’s sincere desire to bolster co-operation with the UAE in various fields, noting the promising opportunities for increasing trade exchanges and co-operation in vital sectors of interest to both countries.