Iran's parliament speaker visits UAE, meets MBZ as detente continues
The trip was the latest in a flurry of bilateral diplomacy that has seen top Iranian officials in a chain of meetings with the Emirati leadership, though little progress has been reported on core disputes.
TEHRAN — Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf arrived in Abu Dhabi Thursday for a two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates. He discussed trade and security with Emirati officials, the state-run news agency IRNA reported.
At a meeting with the Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed, Ghalibaf discussed deepening economic cooperation in the context of "the existing conditions in the region." He also spoke about greater expansion of bilateral relations within the framework of the BRICS group of nations.
Both Iran and the UAE were formally invited in August to join the body originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.
In what seemed an effort to promote Iranian scientific advancements, Ghalibaf presented the Emirati president with two pharmaceutical products he said were "developed by domestic knowledge-based companies." The Iranian government has been investing tremendously in their development, which Iranian officials hold up as proof that Iran is moving toward self-sufficiency and mitigating the impacts of Western sanctions.
