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In boost to China, UAE and Kuwait become 'dialogue partners' in Shanghai Cooperation Organization

The Gulf states made up half of the new partners at the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in 2023.
Abu Dhabi's crown prince, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, left, shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping after witnessed a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Monday, July 22, 2019. (Photo by Andy Wong-Pool/Getty Images)

DUBAI — The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Kuwait were granted dialogue partner status in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on Friday, according to a statement from the organization, further boosting China's inroads in the Arab Gulf region.

Emirati minister of foreign affairs and international cooperation, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, highlighted his country's shared common goals with the organization.

“In the coming period, the UAE will seek to make significant strides in its engagement with the SCO and its member states. As a people and country, we are delighted at being welcomed as a dialogue partner in an organization whose global influence and importance only continue to grow,” he said, according to the state-owned Emirates News Agency.

What happened: The UAE and Kuwait signed memorandums granting them dialogue partner status in the SCO on Friday, which took place on the sidelines of the organization’s Council of Foreign Ministers meeting in Panaji, India, on May 4-5.

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