Explore Bilateral Partnerships Ahead of 4th Annual Investment Meeting in Dubai
Dubai-UAE: 5 March, 2014 – His Excellency Abdullah Al Saleh, Undersecretary, UAE Ministry of Economy, Foreign Trade Sector, met with high-level delegations from Argentina, Brazil and the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) in the run up to the 4th Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) that is scheduled for April under the theme ‘Investment Partnerships for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth in Frontier and Emerging Markets.’
Held in the Ministry of Economy’s offices in Dubai, the meeting that was attended by a number of senior officials from the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs explored the economic relations between the UAE and the three countries.
The Argentinian delegation included Carlos Bianco, Ambassador of International Economic Relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Argentina, and Martha Gonzalez Nieves, Deputy Head of Missions in the Embassy of Argentina in the UAE.
The Brazil delegation included Dr Michel Halabi, Secretary-General and Executive Director of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce, and Mohammed Abdouni Neto, Director of the Arab-Brazilian Chamber of Commerce.
Dmitry Glushko, Vice-President of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) led the Sakha delegation that also included Valery Maximov, Minister of Federal Affairs and External Relations, and Vladimir Bourdon, Head of Sports and Culture Committee from the Consulate of Russia in Dubai.
His Excellency Abdullah Al Saleh said: “The UAE enjoys a prominent economic position in the Middle East and represents a bridge between the East and the West. The visits of high-ranking overseas delegations reiterate the Ministry of Economy's keenness to strengthen bilateral international partnerships as part of our priority to position the UAE as a leading economic powerhouse in the global landscape.
“Our national economy is one of the few worldwide that remained resilient during the global financial crisis that gripped the world in recent years. Our capacity to sustain our performance served to boost the confidence of global investors. This is indicated in the growing number of delegations that we continue to receive with an intent to developing economic synergy.”
In his meeting with delegates from Argentina, His Excellency highlighted the long-standing economic relations between the two countries; particularly in the agricultural sector. On its part, the Argentinian delegation highlighted the UAE's investment projects in Argentina and the strong presence of Argentinian companies in the UAE. As a way forward, the two sides identified mutual investment opportunities and areas of collaboration.
The Brazilian delegation underlined the country’s status as a privileged trading partner of the UAE with the volume of bilateral trade touching US$2,520 million in 2012. Brazil’s strong participation in trade events held in the UAE, such as the recently-concluded Gulfood that saw the engagement of 50 Brazilian companies compared to 25 companies in 2013 was also highlighted.
The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) discussed ways to promote gold and diamond trade with the UAE. Committing its participation at the Annual Investment Meeting in Dubai that will be led by the country’s President, the Sakha delegation invited the UAE Ministry of Economy to visit the Republic to boost economic cooperation between the two countries.
Organised by the UAE Ministry of Economy, the forthcoming edition of the Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) will witness the participation of more than 165 countries and gather over 10,000 top officials from the UAE and other parts of the world to examine investment opportunities in their respective countries. The fourth edition of the event is scheduled to run from April 8-10 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.