His Excellency Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State, and Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, met with His Excellency Pecca Havisto, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland, at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to discuss ways to advance bilateral relations, in addition to numerous files of common interest. The meeting was also attended by His Excellency Andrea Matteo Fontana, Ambassador of the European Union to the UAE, and Her Excellency Marianne Nissilä, Finnish Ambassador to the UAE.
Her Excellency Al Hashimy thanked the Finnish Minister for the participation of his country in Expo 2020 Dubai, praising the Finnish experience in innovation and technology.
Moreover, Her Excellency noted that Finland is one of the UAE's most important partners in innovation and artificial intelligence and added that the UAE is keen to benefit from the Finnish experience in innovation while developing advanced models of cooperation in sectors that support sustainable development. Her Excellency also underscored the need for cooperation in healthcare, particularly in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Finnish Foreign Minister expressed his country's keenness to cooperate with the UAE in technology and digitalization.
Discussions also addressed a number of important regional and international issues, wherein His Excellency Sheikh Shakhbout bin Nahyan stressed the UAE's full commitment to resolving disputes peacefully and eagerness to work with its partners in reducing tensions among parties in conflict.
For its part, the Finnish side commended the UAE's role in peacekeeping efforts. His Excellency Pecca Havisto praised the experience of countries such as the UAE in this regard.
