ABU DHABI, 21st March, 2023 (WAM) — The Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA), the region’s leading centre of excellence for the development and training of future diplomats and leaders, has hosted Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy, in an insightful session to share his perspective on the topic of economic diplomacy and its rising role in fostering regional prosperity.
During the conversation, Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri said, “Global geo-economic fragmentation has been on the rise for some time and as a result, there are now greater barriers to trade, stagnation in the delivery of global public goods, disruption in the International Monetary System and inequitable adverse effects on a diversity of economies. In order to de-fragmentise the economy, the UAE has increased investments into new and traditional sectors, attracted more human capital and highly skilled labour, improved supply chains and access to new markets, and is currently supporting a re-introduction of multilateralism into the diplomacy and foreign affairs space.”
He continued, “Following the directives of our wise leadership, economic diplomacy has remained a key focus for the UAE. We have a remarkable track record in recent years of having forged Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreements (CEPAs) with India, Israel, Indonesia, and Turkey, with a few more on the way. This highlights without a doubt that economic diplomacy has played a pivotal role in strengthening our international ties and supporting our growing reputation as a global trade and logistics hub.”
Nickolay Mladenov, Director General of AGDA, moderated the discussion with Al Marri, discussing ways to enhance multilateral dialogues around economics and trade at the regional and international levels.
Commenting on this event, Mladenov said, “I wanted to thank Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri for taking the time to come to AGDA, a place where we encourage the next generation of diplomats to think creatively, while problem-solving and actively participating in open and insightful dialogues around some of the most pressing issues in our world today.”
“The current volatile landscape in international relations demands economic diplomacy play a major role in building multilateral relations and fostering the economic agreements between countries. Through effective economic diplomacy, countries can create a more stable, prosperous, and connected world that benefits all. As the UAE takes serious steps towards implementing the ‘We the UAE 2031’ national vision, a road map for the future, AGDA will provide the UAE with well-rounded diplomats focused on achieving the country’s national objectives,” he added.
In response, Al Marri said, “We encourage our future diplomats and leaders at the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy to learn from the diplomatic corps’ work as they continue to set example after example of diplomacy in action.”
This informative session offered ambassadors, diplomacy community members, and AGDA faculty and students an opportunity to interact and engage in conversation with Al Marri.
One of the students said, “Having Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri here with us today and hearing first-hand from one of the individuals who are helping shape our economic and finance policies in the UAE was a surreal experience. I have learned a lot about economic diplomacy through our studies here at AGDA, but it was an amazing experience to listen to first-hand accounts of these negotiations. It stressed the importance of multilateral dialogues in establishing a strong economic base for our country. "