UAE, Australia discuss ways to enhance consular cooperation

UAE, Australia discuss ways to enhance consular cooperation

Abu Dhabi (UNA-OIC) – The eighth session of the Emirati-Australian Consular Committee convened remotely on Thursday, 15 July.

The UAE delegation was chaired by Faisal Lutfi, Assistant Under-Secretary for Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for Consular Affairs, while the Australian delegation was chaired by Kate Logan, First Secretary of Consular Affairs and Crisis Management at the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

During the meetings, the two sides discussed several joint consular affairs issues, current developments and ways of strengthening their consular cooperation.

Lutfi praised the joint efforts of the two countries since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which helped them overcome the first stages of the crisis and led to the significant development of bilateral ties.

He also stressed UAE’s keenness to strengthen these efforts in serving the interests of the citizens of the two friendly countries and providing outstanding consular services and caring for the citizens of both countries, to bolster the strategic and historical ties spanning over 40 years and founded on understanding and mutual respect.

Logan commended the bilateral relations between the two countries, most notably the UAE’s efforts to address the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that it assisted Australian nationals during the crisis. She stressed that her country aspires to develop cooperation and exchange experiences with the UAE to benefit the citizens of the two countries, and strengthens bilateral relations between the two friendly countries.

Representatives from various departments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Ministry of Interior, the Federal Identity and Citizenship Authority and the Ministry of Education in the UAE attended the meeting, as well as representatives of relevant Australian authorities.

Australia was among the top 10 countries to attract UAE nationals in 2019, with Australians ranked 11th in terms of visitors to UAE territory in the same year.

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