ABU DHABI —
The UAE’s new president, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, met his French and
British counterparts Sunday as world leaders offered congratulations and paid
tribute to his late predecessor.
اضافة اعلان
French President Emmanuel Macron, on the maiden foreign
trip of his second term, was the first of a number of Western leaders to meet
“MBZ”, the oil-rich Gulf state’s long-time de facto ruler who was appointed on
Saturday, a day after the death of his ailing half-brother Sheikh Khalifa.
He was followed later by British Prime Minister
Boris Johnson, who offered his commiserations on Sheikh Khalifa’s death and his
congratulations on the presidency, an official told AFP. Queen Elizabeth II
also sent her congratulations.
Israel’s president and the king of Spain were also
scheduled to meet Sheikh Mohamed on Sunday, with US Vice President Kamala
Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken due on Monday.
The high-level visits reflect the increased
influence wielded by the UAE in the Middle East and further afield due to its
wealth, oil resources and strategic location.
Long line of leaders
Sunday’s guest list also
included Qatar’s emir, Bahrain’s king, and the Palestinian, German, and
Indonesian presidents, among more than 20 senior figures.
Sheikh Mohamed, 61, has controlled the levers of
power since 2014 when Sheikh Khalifa, his 73-year-old half-brother, was
sidelined by a stroke. The cause of his death was not announced.
Under Sheikh Mohamed’s low-key direction, the
wealthy UAE has emerged as a leader of a reshaped Middle East, forging ties
with Israel and joining a Saudi-led war against Iran-backed rebels in Yemen.
His close ally, Saudi Arabia’s leader Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman, called to congratulate him and India’s Prime Minister
Narendra Modi tweeted to commend his “dynamic and visionary leadership”.
Chinese President Xi Jinping also sent his congratulations,
promising to work to “deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership” between
the two countries.
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