Iran's Foreign Minister described his tour of Gulf countries as “constructive” on Wednesday while Tehran’s nuclear negotiator met one of the EU’s most senior diplomats.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian arrived in the UAE on Thursday and met President Sheikh Mohamed at Al Shati Palace in Abu Dhabi.
The two men discussed the importance of "building on positive developments" to benefit the region and boost stability and prosperity, state news agency Wam reported.
Mr Amirabdollahian began his tour in Qatar on Tuesday and continued with visits to Oman and Kuwait on Wednesday.
In Doha he discussed bilateral relations with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim, who hailed the strong relations between the two countries and called for the comprehensive development of ties, particularly in the economic sphere, Iran’s Mehr news agency reported.
Also in Doha, Iran's most senior nuclear negotiator, Ali Bagheri, held talks with the European Union's Iran nuclear talks co-ordinator Enrique Mora.
"I had a serious and constructive meeting with Enrique Mora in Doha," he said on social media on Wednesday.
"We discussed and exchanged opinions on a range of issues, including negotiations to lift sanctions," Mr Bagheri added.
Iran reached a landmark deal in 2015 with world powers labelled the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) that was designed to prevent Tehran from secretly developing a nuclear bomb.
The US under then-president Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018, before Iran began backed away from its own commitments, including by stepping up its enrichment of uranium.
While discussions to restart the nuclear deal stalled almost a year ago, negotiations have recently restarted to reach an informal understanding that could help limit Iran’s nuclear activities.
EU spokesperson Peter Stano confirmed the meeting in Doha between Iran and the EU’s nuclear negotiators and said the bloc was "keeping diplomatic channels open, including through this meeting in Doha, to address all issues of concern with Iran".
Luis Miguel Bueno, the EU’s spokesperson for the Middle East and North Africa, said the bloc was holding unofficial meetings despite an official freeze in negotiations.
“Although the talks are frozen but we have put a suggestion on the table to Iran, this is our last take, which is the next step that needs to be taken is from the Iranian side,” Mr Bueno told The National during a meeting in Brussels.
“There are talks happening behind the scenes, that are unofficial with everyone. Joseph Borrell is the one who is in charge of the JCPOA committee and we work with the Iranians and other sides to bring everyone closer," the EU spokesperson added.
Mr Bueno re-iterated the EU's position that the bloc will not allow Iran to become a nuclear state.
“This is our red line and we are in agreement with our Gulf partners,” he said.
He said solving challenges collectively with Iran’s neighbours “is the best way to realise the progress of nations and ensure security” in the region.
“De-escalation today has a proven track record in Turkey and Iran can see the benefits. They are two different beasts of course but I see more GCC co-ordination on this front than on Syria for example,” Mohammed Baharoon, Director General of the Dubai Public Policy Research Centre told The National.
Oman has played an informal mediator role in indirect talks between Iran and the US over Tehran’s nuclear programme and a possible prisoner swap.
Mr Al Busaidi said he had discussed "continued consultations and co-operation" on issues of bilateral concern with Iran’s foreign minister.
He remarked on the "great consensus in the visions of the two states" which, he said, "will contribute to stability, security and peace," the Oman News Agency reported.
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
LAST-16 FIXTURES
Sunday, January 20
3pm: Jordan v Vietnam at Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
6pm: Thailand v China at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: Iran v Oman at Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Monday, January 21
3pm: Japan v Saudi Arabia at Sharjah Stadium
6pm: Australia v Uzbekistan at Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: UAE v Kyrgyzstan at Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tuesday, January 22
5pm: South Korea v Bahrain at Rashid Stadium, Dubai
8pm: Qatar v Iraq at Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, second leg:
Liverpool (0) v Barcelona (3), Tuesday, 11pm UAE
Game is on BeIN Sports
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Batti Gul Meter Chalu
Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5
Roll%20of%20Honour%2C%20men%E2%80%99s%20domestic%20rugby%20season
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FULL%20FIGHT%20CARD
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MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
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The details
Heard It in a Past Life
Maggie Rogers
(Capital Records)
3/5
2019 ASIAN CUP FINAL
Japan v Qatar
Friday, 6pm
Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
if you go
The flights Fly Dubai, Air Arabia, Emirates, Etihad, and Royal Jordanian all offer direct, three-and-a-half-hour flights from the UAE to the Jordanian capital Amman. Alternatively, from June Fly Dubai will offer a new direct service from Dubai to Aqaba in the south of the country. See the airlines’ respective sites for varying prices or search on reliable price-comparison site Skyscanner.
The trip
Jamie Lafferty was a guest of the Jordan Tourist Board. For more information on adventure tourism in Jordan see Visit Jordan. A number of new and established tour companies offer the chance to go caving, rock-climbing, canyoning, and mountaineering in Jordan. Prices vary depending on how many activities you want to do and how many days you plan to stay in the country. Among the leaders are Terhaal, who offer a two-day canyoning trip from Dh845 per person. If you really want to push your limits, contact the Stronger Team. For a more trek-focused trip, KE Adventure offers an eight-day trip from Dh5,300 per person.
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The specs: 2018 BMW X2 and X3
Price, as tested: Dh255,150 (X2); Dh383,250 (X3)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged inline four-cylinder (X2); 3.0-litre twin-turbo inline six-cylinder (X3)
Power 192hp @ 5,000rpm (X2); 355hp @ 5,500rpm (X3)
Torque: 280Nm @ 1,350rpm (X2); 500Nm @ 1,520rpm (X3)
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic (X2); Eight-speed automatic (X3)
Fuel consumption, combined: 5.7L / 100km (X2); 8.3L / 100km (X3)
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Norway
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Canada
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if you go
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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What are the main cyber security threats?
Cyber crime - This includes fraud, impersonation, scams and deepfake technology, tactics that are increasingly targeting infrastructure and exploiting human vulnerabilities.
Cyber terrorism - Social media platforms are used to spread radical ideologies, misinformation and disinformation, often with the aim of disrupting critical infrastructure such as power grids.
Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
%E2%80%98FSO%20Safer%E2%80%99%20-%20a%20ticking%20bomb
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