Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed meets Congressional Leaders

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates Armed Forces, met yesterday with US Congressional leaders and senior Obama Administration officials, concluding his two-day visit to Washington.

UAE Deputy National Security Advisor H.H. Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan and UAE Foreign Minister H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, also attended the meetings, which focused on UAE-US bilateral relations and a range of regional security issues.

Briefings with Congressional leaders included House Majority Leader Representative Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), House Minority Whip Representative Steny Hoyer (D-MD), US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Representative Ed Royce (R-CA), Senate Majority Leader Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY), and Senate Minority Leader Senator Harry Reid (D-NV).

Later in the day, UAE Ambassador to the US Yousef Al Otaiba hosted a working dinner for the Crown Prince and visiting delegation at his residence. US officials attending the dinner included US Secretary of State John Kerry, US Secretary of Defence Dr. Ashton Carter, US Secretary of Energy Dr. Ernest Moniz, US Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan, and National Security Advisor Susan Rice.

The discussions covered the P5+1 negotiations to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons into the Arabian Gulf and enhancing regional security cooperation between the UAE, other Gulf Cooperation Council member states, and the US, the focus of upcoming Camp David summit.

Tuesday's meetings conclude the UAE delegation's official visit to Washington, DC. On Monday, the Crown Prince had a working lunch with US President Barack Obama at the White House.

Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Crown Prince Court Undersecretary Mohamed Al Mazrouei, Deputy Secretary-General of the Supreme National Security Council Ali Mohammad Hammad Al Shamsi, and Advisor to the Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Lt. General Juma Ahmed Al Bawardi were also members of the official UAE delegation.