Currently, the United Arab Emirates is viewed as one of the most prosperous, promising and richest nations around the world. The economic progress of the UAE makes it an excellent option for overseas investments, globalization and development.
In any case, the UAE has been very active in encouraging international and regional cooperation. Moreover, the UAE promotes operative global cooperation and continuously seeks opportunities to expand and enlarge bridges with the international community. The central principle of the UAE foreign policy is to maintain international and regional attempts to prevent terrorism and extremism through collaboration and partnership with both international and regional associates (Uaeinteract.com 3).
It is worth pointing out that recently the UAE's diplomacy evidenced a great tendency towards binding connection with new territories such as Central America, South America, Central Asia, Africa and the Pacific. In addition, a number of consulates and embassies have been opened in the countries that have been mentioned above including Cuba and Havana. Presently, the state’s ambassadorial relations have expanded to more than 187 countries. What is more important is that the UAE has conducted more than 105 diplomatic missions worldwide. That in turn means that the foreign policies of the United Arab Emirates have one and only core goal: the improvement through its relations with foreign organizations, companies, governances and individuals in order to contribute stability, potential, independence and supremacy of the country and its citizens (Abed & Hellyer 1).
In any case it seems clear that the UAE foreign policies are almost identical to those ones that exist in other countries. However, there are two factors designating the UAE foreign policies. Firstly, the policies are forced and even limited by an exceptional number of impartial circumstances, namely, its geographical location, the size and structure of its citizens and its indigenous natural resources and welfare. Secondly, since the United Arab Emirates federation was accepted, it has been moderated by the same direction that allowed the bringing of an uncommon rate of both involvement and sequence to keep in terms of the state’s foreign policies.
More generally, it seems hard to deny that in the past few decades the regularity and conformity of foreign policies have considered the understandings held by the leadership of the world and of the best interests of the country and people. Decisions that have been made in domestic policy sector have also influenced foreign policies. The evidence of it is even more obvious in the case of the emulating requests for spending the defense budget, social and economic growth, as well as in the acceptance of the options of reconcilement rather than having conflict as a procedure of finding solutions of controversies.
In order to promote economic integration and create long-term political cooperation with the global and regional economies, the United Arab Emirates has entered some investment, trade, economic and technical agreements with many countries around the world. Furthermore, the UAE’s economic and financial policies have been kept closer to that of other countries aiming at stepping towards enhancing economic links and using economic integration as a powerful instrument of promoting a better comprehension among different nations (Abudhabi.ae 2).
At the same time it could not be argued that the UAE’s priorities and concerns are obtained from these conditions, but they also represent the perspectives of the country’s leadership. Obviously, the key priority is looking for safety and steadiness within the region of the Arabian Gulf, including both the countries of the peninsula and the two other riparian nations, Iraq and Iran. Over the last 30 years preceding pressure on this territory and two major military conflicts has forced the UAE to focus on governmental and non-governmental affairs that are close to home (Abed & Hellyer 1). It has created the framework of its second key priority which is the encouragement of tying relationships with the other countries of the peninsula, with whom the United Arab Emirates shares history, culture, language, religion and other resemblances, as well as structures of the government (with Yemen as an exception). It should also be emphasized that the Arab identity of the United Arab Emirates is of high importance. It is referred in the country’s operation towards another of the Arab countries of the North Africa and Middle East with whom the maintenance of relations generates a priority of the third main foreign policy. Related to these arguments is the Israel-Palestine conflict which is understood as an issue of expulsion, as well as one of the territorial occupations and infringement of primary human rights (Abed & Hellyer 1). Furthermore, the persecution of agreement, harmony and cooperation is underlying through the foreign policy sphere as it is in the sector of domestic policy.
Anyway, if we look to the future, the UAE leadership is entrusted to verify that its foreign policy will remain to be characterized by discretion, sustenance, reconciliation and harmony, as well as cooperation with international organizations (Wentling 4). At the same time, it is ready to advocate the rights of the weak and defenseless states. In addition to the political, military and ideological background, the UAE is also working industriously for further economic and social progress in the region and beyond.
Works Cited
Abed, Ibrahim, Hellyer, Peter. United Arab Emirates. London: Trident Press, 2001. Print.
Abudhabi.ae. 2016. Free Trade Agreements of the UAE. Web. 26 Apr. 2016.
Uaeinteract.com. 2016. UAE Government: Foreign Policy – Uaeinteract. Web. 26 Apr. 2016.
Wentling, Elizabeth. 2015. Innovation, Not Oil, Key To Future Of UAE. Telegraph.co.uk. Web. 26 Apr. 2016.
