Abu Dhabi- UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan launched the Ministry’s strategy for 2017-2021 at a ceremony held at its headquarters on Wednesday.

Sheikh Abdullah said that the five-year strategy aims to energize the UAE diplomacy and consolidate the country’s prominent standing regionally and internationally.

He also called for maximizing efforts to attain paradigm shifts and address the challenges ahead.

‘”The five-year strategy fits well into the approaches of the UAE government and the UAE Vision 2021, the Foreign Minister said.

“It seeks to achieve the objectives of the government, especially the requirements of its citizens, ensure improvement of government work towards realization of sustainable development and elevate the UAE’s stature globally,” he added.

For his part, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash said that the Ministry drew its vision from the authentic values of the founding fathers.

The vision calls for cooperation and peaceful existence with other cultures so as to realize prosperity that benefits all people.

He said that it is consistent with the UAE’s quest to become one of the best countries in the world by 2021.

‘”Towards this end, we have set out 23 high-priority initiatives, and our strategic, ambitious goals rest on four key pillars: community, regional stability, effective international responsibility and prosperity,” Gargash noted.

On the community pillar, the minister said: “We are seeking to make the UAE passport among the world’s most powerful five travel documents by 2021 as we direct the ministry’s resources to serve the citizens better and increase community welfare.”

Speaking about regional stability, Gargash said that the ministry seeks to mobilize its efforts to counter terrorism and present the UAE as a role model for the civilized state, which represents moderate Islam that accepts and tolerates differences.

Commenting on effective international responsibility, Gargash said efforts would be exerted to maintain UAE’s global leadership in the area of development aid while focusing on developmental projects that would contribute to reducing hunger and poverty and ensuring empowerment of women and girls in developing countries.

As for the pillar of prosperity, Gargash said the strategy aims to consolidate the UAE’s economic strength.

“We are planning to launch the first Emirates export-import bank to support national exports and increase non-oil gross domestic product,” he revealed.

According to him, a total of seven teams will be set up to lay down detailed plans of each initiative, oversee their implementation and present periodic progress reports to Sheikh Abdullah.