Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs for the United Arab Emirates, speaks at Chatham House in London, Britain on July 17, 2017 at the Chatham House in London, Britain. PARIS, Nov 30 Reuters - A senior Emirati official said on Tuesday that the United Arab Emirates would send a delegation to Iran as part of efforts to improve relations with rival Tehran.
Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, told reporters when asked when a delegation from the UAE would hold talks in Tehran. "I hope that it is sooner the better and all of our friends are aware of it," Anwar Gargash, diplomatic adviser to the UAE president, told reporters.
He said that the idea was to turn over a new page in relations.
Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Bagheri Kani, met with Gargash and other Emirati officials on November 24 in a rare visit.
The UAE started engaging with Iran in the year 2019 after attacks on tankers off Gulf waters and Saudi energy infrastructure. Sunni Muslim power Saudi Arabia began direct talks with Iran in April, with Riyadh describing the talks as cordial but largely exploratory.
There is a recognition by the Iranians that they need to rebuild bridges with the Gulf. He said that we are picking that up positively.
He said that Abu Dhabi wanted to work hard on improving ties because it shared concerns about Iran's regional activities.
Asked if the UAE was coordinating with Saudi Arabia on its moves on Iran, he said they were keeping their regional allies in the picture. The warmer ties come as indirect talks between Iran and the United States and other world powers in Vienna try to revive a 2015 nuclear pact, which Gulf states have criticised for not addressing Tehran's missile programme and regional proxies.
He said that the UAE shared Saudi Arabia's concern about Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement's rocket attacks on Saudi cities. Riyadh and its allies accuse Iran of supplying the group with arms, a charge that both deny.
The UAE is a member of the Saudi-led coalition that is engaged in Yemen but ended its military presence on the ground in 2019 largely due to its military presence on the ground.