President Sheikh Mohamed meets Turkish Vice President in Abu Dhabi

President Sheikh Mohamed on Thursday met Turkey's Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz at Al Shati Palace in Abu Dhabi.

The pair discussed ways to further develop co-operation between the two nations within the framework of their Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which was signed in March and ratified in May.

Sheikh Mohamed congratulated Mr Yilmaz on his appointment as Vice President and wished him success in his post.

During the meeting, they reviewed opportunities to enhance economic co-operation, including in areas related to investment, food security, renewable energy and the environment, among others.

The two sides also discussed a number of regional and international developments and emphasised their keenness to support peace and stability around the world while strengthening co-operation in facing common challenges.

Mr Yilmaz stressed his country's interest in deepening bilateral relations.

The meeting was attended by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Presidential Court; Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed; Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad, adviser for Special Affairs at the Presidential Court; Ali Al Shamsi, Secretary General of the Supreme Council for National Security; Abdullah Al Nuaimi, Minister of Justice; and Mohamed Al Suwaidi, managing director and chief executive of ADQ.

On the Turkish side, the meeting was attended by Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Simsek, Tugay Tuncer, Turkey's ambassador to the UAE, and several other senior officials.

The Cepa deal aims to create 25,000 highly skilled jobs in the UAE and 100,000 jobs in Turkey over the next 10 years, Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, told The National in March.

Bilateral non-oil trade between the two nations currently stands at about $18.9 billion. The new Cepa deal is expected to push that beyond $40 billion in the next five years, Dr Al Zeyoudi said.

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Ain Dubai in numbers

126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure

1 football pitch: The length of each permanent spoke is longer than a professional soccer pitch

16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.

9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.

5 tonnes: The weight of each permanent spoke that is holding the wheel rim in place

192: The amount of cable wires used to create the wheel. They measure a distance of 2,4000km in total, the equivalent of the distance between Dubai and Cairo.

Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.