US President Joe Biden announced that Vice President Kamala Harris will lead the delegation visiting the UAE to pay respects upon the death of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, the White House said on Sunday.
The delegation, due to arrive in the UAE on Monday, will include Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Director of the CIA William Burns, and Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry.
Those officials will also be joined by Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa, National Security Council Brett McGurk and Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for the Middle East and North Africa, National Security Council Barbara Leaf.
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Sheikh Khalifa, the late president of the UAE, died on Friday at the age of 73. The country’s ministry of presidential affairs announced a forty-day state of mourning.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, was elected president of the UAE on Saturday after the Federal Supreme Council.
Biden congratulated Sheikh Mohammed for the presidency, affirmed that Washington was determined to strengthen its ties strategic partnership with Abu Dhabi over the coming years.
“The UAE is an essential partner of the United States… I look forward to working with Sheikh Mohammed to build from this extraordinary foundation to further strengthen the bonds between our countries and peoples,” the White House quoted Biden as saying in a statement.
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