President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday restated his call for greater international cooperation against the scourge of terrorism.
A statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, quoted the President as speaking while receiving the United Arab Emirates’ Minister of Energy, Mr. Suhail Al Mazrouei, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“We must all cooperate to fight terrorism because no part of the world can be truly safe as long as terrorists remain amongst us. In parts of our country, terrorism is obstructing socio-economic development and increasing poverty. We need cooperation and collaboration from our friends globally to successfully overcome it,” the President was quoted as saying.
Jonathan also called for an expansion of bilateral relations between Nigeria and the UAE.
He said Nigeria would welcome greater direct investment from the UAE for the development of its power, agricultural, oil and gas, communications and solid minerals sectors.
He said he looked forward to the early conclusion of agreements for the protection of investments and avoidance of double taxation between the UAE and Nigeria which are expected to boost the inflow of investments from the emirates to Nigeria.
“The United Arab Emirates and Dubai are becoming increasingly important to us. A large number of Nigerians now visit Dubai on a daily basis. I assure your leadership that we are keen on developing and expanding areas of cooperation between us,” President said.
He assured Mazrouei of Nigeria’s support for Dubai’s bid to host the 2020 World Expo, saying that he believed the emirate had developed the capacity to successfully host the event.
Mr. Mazrouei had conveyed greetings from the leadership of the UAE to Jonathan and congratulated him on Nigeria’s recent celebration of its 53rd independence anniversary.
The UAE Energy Minister assured Jonathan that the emirates would like to boost their relationship with Nigeria through major investments in the country.
“The conclusion of the treaties we are working on will encourage our private sector to engage more in Nigeria,” Mr. Mazrouei told President Jonathan.
He also briefed President Jonathan on Dubai’s bid to host the 2020 World Expo under the theme: “Connecting Minds, Creating the Future”.
Mazrouei who was in the country as a Special Envoy of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Ruler of Dubai and Vice President of the UAE.