Pakistan, UAE reaffirm strategic partnership in Abu Dhabi talks

Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff and Chief of Defense Forces Syed Asim Munir met the United Arab Emirates’ National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Monday, holding talks on expanding economic cooperation, investment and security coordination as regional tensions continue to evolve.

Pakistan’s military said the meeting focused on strengthening bilateral ties across multiple sectors, with particular emphasis on economic collaboration and investment flows, while also reviewing regional and global developments and underscoring the need for sustained coordination to promote peace and stability.

The army chief expressed appreciation for what he described as the UAE’s long-standing support for Pakistan’s economy and security, saying decades of engagement reflected deep-rooted ties between the two countries. He added that Pakistan viewed the UAE’s security and stability as integral to its own national interests and reaffirmed Islamabad’s commitment to broadening cooperation in all areas.

The high-level engagement follows a series of recent diplomatic exchanges between the two close allies. Last month, Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari paid a four-day visit to the UAE, during which he met President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Dubai ruler and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Those discussions focused on strengthening bilateral relations and accelerating cooperation in trade, investment and development, while also reviewing progress in defense, security and people-to-people links.

The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner after China and the United States and a key market for Pakistani exports, including food products, textiles and construction services.

More than 1.5 million Pakistanis live and work in the Gulf state, forming one of the largest overseas Pakistani communities and sending billions of dollars home each year in remittances, a crucial source of foreign exchange.

Alongside economic ties, Pakistan and the UAE have steadily deepened defense and security cooperation over the years, including military training, joint exercises and collaboration on counter-terrorism and regional security, reinforcing what both sides describe as a strategic partnership.