The intense lobbying activities of the United Arab Emirates have helped them to gain access to the European Parliament. Emirates has poured millions of dollars to lobby MEPs and European officials working in different sectors. Various Events, seminars, and exhibitions at the European Parliament have provided an avenue to buffing the image of the UAE in Europe.
Human Aid For Stability Event In Support Of UAE
On 8 January 2019, the UAE Embassy organized a three-day exhibition in the European Parliament. The event was called “Humanitarian Aid for Stability” and it was organized by the Emirates Red Crescent and the Federal National Council (the UAE parliament). This event highlighted the UAE’s relief and humanitarian work globally. The event was attended by big names like Amal Al Qubaisi, who is a Speaker at the Federal National Council.
Other participants in the event included Fahad Abdelrahman bin Sultan, Deputy Secretary General for International Aid at the Emirates Red Crescent, and several members of the European Parliament.
The exhibition was inaugurated by Antonio Tajani, who is the President of the European Parliament. Tajani expressed his “deep appreciation for the UAE’s global humanitarian and relief efforts, manifested through the work of the Emirates Red Crescent”, describing them as “really impressive”.
Tajani also thanked the initiator, and the Member of the European Parliament Antonio López-Istúriz White, for the organization of this wonderful event. The exhibition was claimed to be a novel opportunity to showcase the value of partners Emirates to help alleviate the devastating effects of war.
Christos Stylianides, who was the European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid and Crisis Management, also praised the UAE. He said “… a global model of humanitarian commitment, for demonstrating steadfast solidarity, significantly contributing to crisis resolution, playing an influential role in development cooperation and actively supporting international aid organizations. He also said that the freedom of religion is the right of every human being.
This event was a showcase of the foreign policy of the UAE. It was a direct attack on countries like Turkey, Qatar, and Iran. UAE was framed as a progressive country that has been bringing a lot of contributions to the world stage. There was also no mention of the war crimes that the UAE has been committing in Yemen. The MEPs and the event organizers are UAE-backed forces. There was also no room for any comments or questions from the audience.
Promotion Of The Importance Of UAE As An Ally Of the EU
Before the exhibition, there were several meetings held where the UAE was proved as an ally. The country was also portrayed as a committed nation towards stability and tolerance. The humanitarian values were stressed in several meetings and seminars held between the delegations of the UAE and the European officials.
In the meetings Amal Abdullah al-Qubaisi has recorded saying:
“Helping those in need is deeply rooted in our culture, and we feel responsible for underprivileged and vulnerable groups. Instability provides fertile ground for terrorism and extremism, therefore our commitment to development involves a commitment to stability a priority that we share with the EU.”
She also commented on the incidents in Yemen: “… undermining the security and stability of the region’s countries, through supporting armed militias, inciting sectarian and religious prejudices, and interfering in their internal affairs”.
The meetings were also attended by Mohamed Issa Hamad Abu Shahab, who is the UAE Ambassador to the EU. It was also revealed that UAE and EU delegations signed several memorandums of understanding between the FNC and several European parliaments. López-Istúriz White also talked about the importance of cooperation between the EU and the UAE.
They also stressed working together to build the economy of the two nations together. He also talked about humanitarian aid and the fight against terrorism. UAE was praised for its “unwavering dedication” to obtaining security and stability in the world.
David McAllister, who is a member of the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee, was invited to visit the UAE. Al Qubaisi met with MEPs, that include: Pier Antonio Panzeri, Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights; Pavel Svoboda, Chair of the Committee on Legal Affairs; Sergei Stanishev, President of the Party of the European Socialists; and Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner for Digital and Social Economy.