ABU DHABI: UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto in Abu Dhabi on April 22, with the two sides focusing on defence and security cooperation as well as the impact of Middle East developments on regional stability and maritime security. Crosetto conveyed greetings from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni during the meeting, which came amid continued high-level contact between Abu Dhabi and Rome on regional security and bilateral ties.
The discussions also addressed the wider regional crisis and its implications for international stability, according to the UAE and Italian readouts. Crosetto reiterated Italy’s condemnation of attacks that the two governments described as Iranian attacks targeting the UAE and other countries in the region. The UAE statement said the meeting was attended by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs, Mohamed bin Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Minister of State for Defence Affairs, and other officials.
Italy’s Ministry of Defence said Crosetto later held separate talks with Al Mazrouei and the two sides signed a Letter of Intent to strengthen and expand bilateral defence cooperation. The Italian ministry said the understanding was set within a strategic partnership and built around training, exchanges of experience and dialogue between the two armed forces. Both official statements described the Abu Dhabi visit as combining bilateral defence discussions with talks on regional security and the protection of maritime routes.
UAE and Italy review regional security
The Abu Dhabi meeting followed an earlier exchange this month between Sheikh Mohamed and Meloni, who discussed the latest regional developments, their impact on security and stability, and the effects on maritime security, energy supplies and the global economy during her visit to the UAE on April 5. In that meeting, Meloni also condemned the attacks targeting the UAE and other countries in the region and expressed support for measures to protect the country’s security, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
It also came after a series of recent contacts between the two countries at the highest level. In late January, Sheikh Mohamed received Italian President Sergio Mattarella in Abu Dhabi, where both sides said they would continue advancing the UAE-Italy strategic partnership across areas including investment, advanced technology, renewable energy, sustainability and culture. The official UAE account of that visit said the two leaders also exchanged views on regional and international issues and stressed dialogue and diplomatic solutions.
Defence cooperation expands
The Italian Ministry of Defence said Crosetto and Sheikh Mohamed reviewed the implications of the war with Iran for regional and international stability and for navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, while the UAE account said the meeting covered developments in the Middle East and their impact on maritime security. Italy also said Crosetto expressed appreciation for the UAE’s contribution to regional de-escalation, adding another layer of regional security coordination to the bilateral defence agenda discussed in Abu Dhabi.
For the UAE and Italy, the visit added a concrete defence outcome to an already active diplomatic channel, with the new letter of intent signed during Crosetto’s meetings in Abu Dhabi and with both governments publicly linking bilateral cooperation to regional stability and maritime security. The official statements did not announce a timetable for further agreements, but they made clear that defence and security remain central themes in the relationship between the two countries. – By Content Syndication Services.