A delegation headed by Minister for Romanians Abroad Natalia-Elena Intotero carried out in Dubai on Monday a series of talks with high dignitaries of the Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), that were mainly aimed at the development of projects in the area of inter-cultural dialogue and preservation, affirmation of national identity.

According to a release sent to AGERPRES, Minister Natalia-Elena Intotero talked with Minister of State with the Foreign Affairs Ministry Zaki Nusseibeh, whom she discussed with about the Romanian community living in the United Arab Emirates, the Ministry for Romanians Abroad's (MRP) demarches to support the Romanians residing abroad and the possibility to develop projects devoted to co-nationals of Dubai.

Minister Natalia-Elena Intotero and Minister Zaki Nusseibeh also evoked the development recorded at the level of the Romanian-Emirati relations and the opportunities resulting form the activity of the first session of the Joint Cooperation Committee between Romania's Government and the Government of the United Arab Emirates, held in April 2018.

"The agenda of the day also included a meeting with His Highness Sheikh Nahayan bin Mubarak Al Nahayan, who is also the Minister of State for Tolerance and member of the UAE Cabinet. During the talks, Minister Intotero welcomed the support of the Emirati authorities for a multi-cultural society and referred to the specificity of the Romanian community residing in the UAE, a community made up of highly trained people with an important role in in the UAE's economic development and in boosting the economic, social, cultural exchanges for mutual benefit. The Romanian dignitary also evoked the interest of Romania's Government to endorse the efforts of the Romanian community in the direction of preserving the national identity, coagulating the associative environment and the involvement in the life of local communities. The meeting was also attended by the President of the UAE Parliament," the release mentions.

Within the meeting, Natalia-Elena Intotero extended an invitation to Zaki Nusseibeh and Sheikh Nahayan bin Mubarak Al Nahayan to pay a visit to Romania in March 2019, in view of participating in the meeting at ministerial level that the MRP organises in Bucharest, together with the Foreign Affairs Ministry, on the sidelines of our country's mandate of the Presidency of the EU Council.

"The year 2019 is important for the United Arab Emirates, being declared a year of tolerance. In this context, Minister Natalia-Elena Intotero proposed the organisation of some joint cultural events, underscoring that the year of tolerance represents a good opportunity to promote understanding among nations, peaceful existence, peace, family unity and the promotion of historical roots," the quoted source mentions.

The Romanian delegation was made up of State Secretary with the Culture and National Identity Ministry Madalin Voicu, as well as Undersecretary of State with the MRP Victor Ionescu, who were accompanied by Romania's Ambassador to the UAE Adrian Macelaru and Romania's Consul General in Dubai Nicoleta Teodorovici. AGERPRES (RO - author: Oana Malina Negrea, editor: Mihai Simionescu; EN - author: Rodica State, editor: Adina Panaitescu)