The governments of the United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Azerbaijan have concluded the Ministerial Experience Exchange Forum, where representatives explored strategic partnerships to foster the exchange of government experiences.
The two-day event in Baku gathered ministers and senior officials for over 20 sessions and meetings, aiming to enhance bilateral cooperation, communication, and exchange of experiences between government leaders.
In her opening remarks, Ohood bint Khalfan Al Roumi, Minister of State for Government Development and The Future, highlighted that the relations between the UAE and Azerbaijan are strong and solid, pointing to a recent visit by President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to Azerbaijan in January 2024, where several agreements were signed and activated.
"In line with the UAE leadership’s vision, the government has made shaping the future a strategic priority. Today's rapid global changes have made it clear that emerging trends have a critical role in shaping our future. The world is entering a new era defined by new trends, such as digitalisation, technological advancement, smart public services and government accelerators, and sustainability,”
she added.
For his part, Ulvi Mehdiyev, Chairman of the State Agency for Public Service and Social Innovations under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, pointed out that the relations between Azerbaijan and the UAE are on an upward trajectory.
“Economic cooperation between Azerbaijan and the UAE has reached new horizons, especially in the field of green energy. Our partnership represents a forward-looking, proactive approach to development in various areas of common interest,”
he said.
Hessa bint Essa Buhumaid, Director-General of Community Development Authority in the Government of Dubai (CDA), highlighted the key objectives of the Dubai Social Agenda 33; the government’s comprehensive plan for its community, saying,
“Traditional social services are unsustainable in this rapidly evolving world. In the UAE, our approach focuses on strengthening social cohesion and bolstering the economy through strategic investment.”
Abdulla Lootah, Deputy Minister of Cabinet Affairs for Competitiveness and Experience Exchange, emphasised the importance of promoting friendly relations between the two countries, touching on the Year of Sustainability announced by President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in 2023 and extending into 2024. This initiative raised awareness of the need for sustainability and defined some of its key principles in support of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17, on revitalising global partnerships for sustainable development. He also discussed the significant role of the Ministerial Experience Exchange Forum in supporting sustainable development by sharing the UAE's expertise in creating a future-ready government model.
The forum focused on economic diversification, green energy, education, health, social wellbeing, public service innovation, and a business-friendly environment in Azerbaijan and the UAE. It highlighted the UAE's COP28 success and Azerbaijan's COP29 preparations, education system development, health sector trends, and smart public services. In November 2022, the UAE and Azerbaijan launched a strategic partnership to enhance government expertise across seven pillars.
News Source: Emirates News Agency
