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ABU DHABI / WAM
The United Arab Emirates and Canada held the fourth session of the joint consular committee in the Canadian capital Ottawa to advance and consolidate cooperation in all joint consular matters to better serve the citizens of the two countries.
The meeting was chaired by Faisal Issa Lutfi, Assistant Undersecretary for Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the UAE side and Victoria Fuller, Director-General of the Office of Consular Affairs at the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development from the Canadian side.
Fahad Saeed Mohammed Abdullah Al Raqbani, ambassador of the UAE to Canada, and members of the accompanying delegation also attended the meeting. The meeting tackled a number of joint consular matters and plans to follow up and develop them, in addition to ways of enhancing the cooperation in this regard.
Lutfi stressed the importance of cooperation in the consular matters and their role in advancing and bolstering bilateral relations between the two countries, praising the positive developments achieved during this year in terms of bilateral consular relations.
He commended efforts exerted by both sides to provide distinguished consular services and facilitate the movement of citizens of the two countries.
In turn, Fuller praised the pioneering position that the UAE enjoys regionally and internationally, and the vital role it plays at various levels, stressing the importance of this consular committee in strengthening the framework of consular cooperation in all fields.
Well-established relations
Lutfi conveyed the greetings of H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and his praise for the depth of the bilateral relations between the two countries in the consular matters and affirmed the UAE’s keenness and interest in strengthening and developing relations between the two countries, in a way that reflects the aspirations and directions of the wise leadership.
He added that the bilateral relations between the UAE and Canada witnessed qualitative shifts that directly contributed to their consolidation and progress, whether at the bilateral or global levels.
He also stressed that the United Arab Emirates and Canada have strong and well-established relations based on a long-standing history and based on many common interests, calling for strengthening the existing cooperation between the two countries in higher education.
For her part, Fuller praised the development of bilateral relations between the two countries witnessed during the past years, especially in consular cooperation, stressing that her country aspires to develop this cooperation, and exchange experiences with the UAE, in a way that benefits the citizens of the two countries, and further strengthens bilateral relations between the two friendly countries.
Digital transformation
She also praised the UAE’s experience in this field, which is witnessing rapid progress in terms of digital transformation of consular services and harnessing of artificial intelligence and advanced technology to provide services efficiently and smoothly to customers.
Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship, Customs and Ports Security in the UAE, as well as representatives from the competent authorities in Canada, participated in the meeting.
Since 1974, the UAE and Canada enjoy distinguished and strategic relations, based on a spirit of understanding and mutual respect. Bilateral relations between the two countries have witnessed remarkable progress in recent years through the exchange of high-level visits, signing of agreements and memorandums of understanding, in addition to bilateral cooperation in all fields, notably education and economy.