ABU DHABI: Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the United Arab Emirates’ Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, met Dutch Foreign Minister Tom Berendsen in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday for talks on bilateral ties and regional developments, as the two countries continued high level diplomatic contacts amid broader tensions across the Middle East. The meeting focused on ways to expand cooperation across sectors serving shared interests, while also reviewing security issues that have shaped recent regional diplomacy.
The discussions also covered the repercussions of Iranian missile attacks that targeted the UAE and other countries, according to the official UAE account of the meeting. The two sides reviewed the impact of those attacks on regional and international security and stability, as well as the effects on maritime security, energy supplies and the global economy. The agenda placed the Abu Dhabi talks within a wider regional context that has drawn sustained diplomatic engagement from Gulf and European governments in recent weeks.
Berendsen reaffirmed Dutch solidarity with the UAE and its efforts to protect its sovereignty, territorial integrity and the safety of citizens, residents and visitors, the UAE side said. Sheikh Abdullah welcomed the visit and said it reflected the depth of relations between the two countries. Berendsen took office as Dutch foreign minister on 23 February, according to the Dutch government, making the Abu Dhabi meeting one of his early in person engagements with a Gulf counterpart since assuming the post.
Regional developments
The ministers also reviewed the recent announcement of a ceasefire between the United States and Iran and discussed the importance of strengthening international efforts to support security, stability and peace in the region. The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs had previously said Berendsen spoke with Sheikh Abdullah by phone on 1 March, when he conveyed condolences and support following the attacks on the UAE and underlined what he described as full Dutch solidarity with the Emirates.
Wednesday’s meeting in Abu Dhabi was attended by Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, UAE Minister of State, and Omran Sharaf, Assistant Foreign Minister for Advanced Science and Technology. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the two ministers also discussed issues of mutual interest related to bilateral relations and ways to broaden cooperation. The official summary did not announce new agreements, memorandums or joint initiatives, instead framing the meeting around ongoing coordination and an exchange of views on current regional and international issues.
Bilateral ties
The UAE and the Netherlands have maintained a broad bilateral agenda that extends beyond diplomacy and security. In a joint statement issued in 2023, the two countries said they were marking 50 years of diplomatic relations and identified economy and trade, energy and food security, climate cooperation, and efforts to combat international crime and money laundering as areas for deeper engagement. That framework has continued to shape official discussions as both governments pursue wider cooperation across strategic sectors.
The latest talks also followed earlier contacts between the two sides. In November 2025, Sheikh Abdullah held a phone call with then Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel to discuss bilateral relations and regional and international issues of common interest. With Berendsen now in office, the Abu Dhabi meeting signaled continuity in that dialogue while placing regional security developments at the center of the latest exchange between the UAE and the Netherlands. – By Content Syndication Services.
