UAE

Table of Contents Literature Review Methodology Conclusion References The UAE government has a sound and active foreign policy that was established by President Sheikh Zayed. The UAE foreign relations are created on the basis of diplomacy, negotiations and consideration.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on UAE-Afghanistan Foreign Relations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The United Arab Emirates, as a member of the Arab union that is geographically located in the Middle East, is considerate to its neighbors and plays a significant role in matters concerning the International community as a whole in the region (US Department of State, 2011). In order to fulfill its regional as well as international role, it has to ensure that regional, political and economic security as well as respect of human dignity is maintained. Thus, to ensure that this is achieved, its foreign policy is tailored to the principles of par tnerships through the dialogue and consensus locally and at international levels. Due to its economic and political stability, the UAE has a very influential role in Arab affairs in the Middle East. In order to achieve its diplomatic objectives, â€Å"one of the central features of the UAE’s foreign policy has been the development of closer ties with its neighbors in the Arabian Peninsula through the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)† (UAE, nd). Literature Review The UAE and Afghanistan relations have been greatly influenced by the UAE foreign policy, thus there exists bilateral relations between the two countries. In addition, due to Afghanistan’s security situation, the UAE has a military presence in the country in line with its policy of maintaining regional security and human dignity. Since 2006, UAE has played a more direct role in Afghanistan through its embassy in Kabul (Katzman, 2011). It also provides humanitarian relief to Afghanistan’s population by setting up hospitals, schools and religious centers all aimed at promoting human dignity (IPS, 2011). Due to the similarity of cultures and religion, the relations between these two countries have been fairly good as the local populations appeared to adapt easily to the UAE foreign policies. Nevertheless, the issue whether the foreign relations between the two countries have been strengthened or not lies in the constant discussions and dialogues, thereby ensuring that any activities they deal with do not meet any resistance.Advertising Looking for proposal on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More During the frequent dialogue between the two countries, they usually take into consideration how to enhance the mutual co-operation between their countries through commerce and other core factors vital to their bilateral and foreign policy framework (Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, 2011 ). For example, the recent bilateral trade negations called for development of Afghanistan’s transport infrastructure and aviation industry in order to increase trade and relationships between the two countries. It is also vital to note that the diplomatic relations between the two states have existed for the last two decades whereby the UAE under the guidance of its foreign policy has provided grants and expertise to Afghanistan to assist in social-economic development of the Afghans. In addition, the Afghans have been always welcomed in the UAE where they have enjoyed easier travel rules across the UAE. Despite the various changes of regime in Afghanistan, the UAE always maintained diplomatic relations with all the Afghanistan’s political classes and the Taliban because as it continued supporting the Taliban government both politically and economically. Thus, when other International agencies and countries cut diplomatic ties with the Taliban regime and called for sa nctions against Afghanistan, the UAE continued trading with it (UAE Interact, 2011). Nevertheless, with increasing terrorism activities, there was a wide call for sanctions against Afghanistan which resulted in deterioration of relations between these two countries (Anon, 2006). Due to the current security situation in Afghanistan, the UAE central and core issue in the region is to stabilize security situation in the region which has affected both the economical and humanitarian spheres in Afghanistan. Thus, through co-operation and negotiations with other countries, the UAE has contributed 1.5 billion to enhance security and create institutions that maintain security and stability in the country (Hellyer, nd). Methodology Based on the research topic, the researcher applied secondary sources of information as the main form of information for the research. The researcher used his discretion which enabled him to go through large volumes of relevant data both primary and secondary and subsequently select the most appropriate data from published sources which came from books and official websites. The primary data was collected using interviews and questionnaires. The researcher conducted interviews, via phone and issued online surveys. This enabled the researcher to get first hand information from the sources which is, the perspective of the subjects involved and scholars themselves regarding the subject.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on UAE-Afghanistan Foreign Relations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Interviews are an effective way of collecting information since they first establish a close relationship between the interviewer and the interviewees. Through interviews, it is also easy to make follow up when looking for finer details of any interesting piece of information. Researcher used 50 questionnaires distributed evenly across the study group involved. Due to the large amount of inf ormation collected by both interviews and questionnaire data collection methods, they enabled one to conclusively determine the implications of the UAE- Afghanistan relations in the region and what the region could do to increase their diplomatic and economic relations. In order to ensure that the interviews and questionnaires are evenly distributed, the researcher used sampling method whereby the researcher randomly picked from a group of interested interviewees who were used in the data collection process. The countries and population from which the samples were taken from include UAE and Afghanistan. Two types of interviews were used. First type is structured interviews whereby the questionnaire was given out to the respondents to fill out their opinions. The other type is an in-depth interview, which does not involve any rigid questions to be answered. The study used the structured interviews to get answers for some specific questions in order to get uniform results from several respondents. In-depth guided interviews on the other hand gave the respondents a chance to answer questions freely and hold discussions. For the sake of collecting ample information, the research conducted individual interviews several times via the telephone. The choice of qualitative data collection as the methodology to be used was backed by the fact that qualitative research has the capacity of providing detailed information regarding the way a group of people experiences an issue that is being researched. This type of methodology presents the human part of an issue such as the beliefs, opinions or even the expectations of different people. The methodology fits in well with the aim of the research in identifying the impacts the UAE- Afghanistan in the region. Such closeness with the respondents in collecting information can only be achieved by using qualitative methods such interviews.Advertising Looking for proposal on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Conclusion In conclusion, the relations between the two countries are very solid despite the war on the terrorism focused on the Taliban in Afghanistan. The UAE and Afghanistan have their embassies in each other capital cities, and the later has both an embassy and consulate in the UAE. After the collapse of the Soviet Union and after the War on Taliban, the UAE was on the front line in the reconstruction of the country. These reconstruction efforts centered on the UAE’s foreign policy of maintaining economical and social security for its neighbors in the Arab league. Thus, in order to achieve this, the UAE has offered economical assistance through economical aid and grants aimed at improving the life of the Afghans destroyed by the war. References Title of Article: United Arab Emirates yearbook. New York, NY: Trident Press Ltd. Author: Anon, T. Bibliographical entry: Anon, T. (2006). United Arab Emirates yearbook. New York, NY: Trident Press Ltd. Summary: In this study, the author describes the humanitarian assistance and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan have often been interrupted by violence and instability that characterize Afghanistan. Criminal and insurgent forces have continued to threaten the peace and tranquility Afghanistan. Title of Article: Encyclopedia of the Nations. (2003). United Arab Emirates – Foreign policy. Nations’ Encyclopedia. Retrieved from Bibliographical entry: Encyclopedia of the Nations. (2003). United Arab Emirates – Foreign policy. Nations’ Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/World-Leaders-2003/United-Arab-Emirates-FOREIGN-POLICY.html Title of Article: The Evolution of UAE Foreign Policy. Author: Hellyer, P. Bibliographical entry: The Evolution of UAE Foreign Policy. The UAE Interact. Retrieved from: http://www.uaeinteract.com/uaeint_misc/pdf/perspectives/08.pdf Summary: In this study, the author says that there is basically no hidden interest in the favorable p olicy of UAE towards Afghanistan. This is because, what UAE is doing is primarily within its foreign policy objectives, which include: feeling of identification within the Muslim community, which entails providing development aid and assistance to fellow Muslims. Title of article: UAE-Afghanistan: Extradition treaty signed Author: IPS. Bibliographical entry: IPS. (2011). UAE-Afghanistan: Extradition treaty signed. IPS Agency. Retrieved from: http://www.ipsnotizie.it/wam_en/news.php?idnews=5682 Summary: This article touches on the signing of treaties, UAE and Afghanistan signed an extradition treaty with two other agreements namely: mutual legal assistance in matters of criminality and assistance, and cooperation on civil matters. The treaties were signed by the minister of Justice of the UAE and the minister for foreign affairs of Afghanistan. The signing of the bilateral treaty was motivated by the desire of the UAE to foster its bilateral, regional and international cooperation o n legal and judicial areas Title of Article: The United Arab Emirates (UAE): Issues for U.S. Policy Author: Katzman, K. Bibliographical entry: Katzman, K. (2011). The United Arab Emirates (UAE): Issues for U.S. Policy. Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved from: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RS21852.pdf Summary: In this study, the author is saying that since the collapse of the Taliban government, the UAE has pledged US$ 323 million worth of economic aid to Afghanistan. The UAE has also funded projects like the Zayed University which provides education to approximately 6,000 students of Afghanistan and various drinking wells and mosques. Title of Article: UAE takes action to help promote Afghan investment. Author: Shaheen, K. Bibliographical entry: Shaheen, K. (2010). UAE takes action to help promote Afghan investment. The National. Retrieved from: http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/uae-takes-action-to-help-promote-afghan-investment Summary: In this study, the aut hor shows how the UAE has also taken action in promoting investment in the Afghanistan region. The establishment of the Afghanistan International Investment Friends was an initiative founded with the objective to promote and to advise the Afghanistan authorities on better laws and policies that can help spur investment to enhance the stabilization of the war-ravaged country. Title of Article: Foreign Policy. Author: UAE Embassy Bibliographical entry: UAE Embassy. (2009). Foreign Policy. UAE Embassy. Retrieved from: http://www.uae-embassy.org/uae/foreign-policy Summary: This article is shows how the UAE has positively and immensely contributed to the international efforts of stabilizing Afghanistan and supporting the efforts to have a peaceful Afghanistan. From 2002 to 2008, the UAE has provided humanitarian and development aid to Afghanistan worth US$ 550 million making it the only Arab country to provide the most humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan. Title of Article: Governmen t-Political system. Author: UAE Interact Bibliographical entry: UAE Interact. (2011). Government-Political system. UAE Interact. Retrieved from: http://www.uaeinteract.com/government/foreign_policy.asp UAE Interact. (2011). Summary: This article explains how the UAE has contributed non-combatant troops to Afghanistan as part of its promotion of international security assistance force. This makes it one of the two main Islamic countries with troops in Afghanistan apart for NATO. The government of UAE supports the transitional efforts to increase responsibility to Afghan authorities. This proposal on UAE-Afghanistan Foreign Relations was written and submitted by user Abril Sharp to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here. UAE The United Arab Emirates (UAE) operates within a broad framework of foreign policy. The foreign policy of UAE is founded on three main areas: diplomacy, negotiation and compassion. The UAE places the interests of its neighbors and the international community first, particularly with regards to international and regional peace and stability. Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on UAE-Afghanistan Foreign Relations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The UAE, in order to realize these objectives, has promoted bridges, developed partnerships and promoted dialogue. These factors have helped the government of UAE to pursue an affective and balanced international relations and foreign policy. The demand for justice in its international activities with other states, including the belief in the principle of non-interference in internal affairs of sovereign states is the guiding principle of the UAE’s foreign policy . The UAE is dedicated to peaceful resolution of conflict and disputes, respect for international law and a firm implementation of international treaties and conventions. It is a member of both the UN and Arab League hence it has established diplomatic relations with approximately 100 countries in the world. The UAE has provided material and monetary support to various countries (US Department of State, 2011). The relationship between the UAE and Afghanistan dates back to the 1980s during the communist regime when Soviet invaded Afghanistan. During this period, the government of UAE provided humanitarian and financial assistance to the people of Afghanistan to facilitate their fight for freedom. It was also at that time that the people of Afghanistan were welcomed to reside in the UAE. It was after the defeat of the Soviet that Afghan established its embassy in Abu Dhabi in 1993 and this marked the beginning of a diplomatic relationship. Humanitarian Assistance With regards to Afg hanistan, the UAE has positively and immensely contributed to the international efforts of stabilizing Afghanistan and supporting the efforts to have a peaceful Afghanistan. From 2002 to 2008, the UAE has provided humanitarian and development aid to Afghanistan worth US$ 550 million making it the only Arab country to provide the most humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan (UAE Embassy, 2011). Since the Tokyo conference of 2009, the UAE has contributed US$ 1.5 billion to stabilize Afghanistan. Its humanitarian contribution to Afghanistan began in 2003. The UAE Red Crescent has used approximately given US$30 million towards humanitarian aid in Afghanistan. It has made contributions to several projects in Afghanistan. It has also participated in various donor conferences held in Berlin and London with the UAE pledging to support the stability and the rejuvenation of Afghanistan. Advertising Looking for research paper on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get yo ur first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The Red Crescent of the UAE has assisted the Afghan refugees by constructing camps for them on the side of Pakistan and providing them with basic commodities in collaborations with UNHCR. The UAE has also donated relief commodities like vehicles, communication equipments, electronics, and office materials (Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, 2011). Promotion of Peace The UAE has contributed non-combatant troops to Afghanistan as part of its promotion of international security assistance force. This makes it one of the two main Islamic countries with troops in Afghanistan apart for NATO. The government of UAE supports the transitional efforts to increase responsibility to Afghan authorities. Consequently, the UAE took part in NATO’s summit on Regional Economic Cooperation Conference held in Lisbon, Portugal. The summit enabled the UAE to understand the link between security and economy and hence prompting it to hold an investment conference on Afghanistan that targeted three main areas: infrastructure, mining and agriculture (UAE Interact, 2011). Military Mission The UAE has its military personnel in Afghanistan for defense, which is in line with the constitution of UAE. The UAE military on the ground protects humanitarian services as well as enhancing security of the local communities. The modern milestone made in vital sectors like the healthcare, educational and infrastructural development has been achieved with the help of the UAE military personnel. The forces are also active in the promotion of Islamic culture (UAE Embassy, 2009). The UAE troops in Afghanistan have been functioning since 2004, and it is the only Arab force in the country. This force operates in the southern region of the country, specifically in the Uruzgan province where it has been well received by the local population there. Just as provided by the constitution of UAE, the armed forces in Afghanistan only serve defens e purposes due to the constitutional principle. The UAE only endeavors to extend its protection to the people of Afghanistan that it offers to its citizens to her neighbors in the field of national security (UAE, n.d.). The military is also used to perform culturally sensitive and other development activities by supplementing the work of the humanitarian organizations. Provision of Aid and Building of Infrastructure The UAE has actively contributed to the reconstruction of Afghanistan; this year (2011), the foreign minister of UAE announced that it will donate US$ 250 million towards the reconstruction of Afghanistan. The aid was to be managed by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development. Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on UAE-Afghanistan Foreign Relations specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The aid was to be used in developing areas of housing for orphans, disabled people and the widows and the rehabilitation of the country’s cities and states. The donation, according to the UAE government was an appreciation of the progress made by the Afghan government despite the difficult times. The two governments have signed a memorandum of understanding on various fields that might require further consultation, particularly agreements on political cooperation. The UAE citizens have also made private contributions of around US$ 22 million towards the rebuilding of Afghanistan. Through these donations, several schools, heath institutions, libraries and mosques have been developed. The creation of the Islamic fund by the UAE was primarily aimed at assisting the people of Afghanistan after the military intervention by US (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2011). Since the collapse of the Taliban government, the UAE has pledged US$ 323 million worth of economic aid to Afghanistan. The UAE has also funded projects like the Zayed University which provides education to approximately 6,000 students of Afgh anistan and various drinking wells and mosques (Katzman, 2011). Promotion of Investment The UAE has also taken action in promoting investment in the Afghanistan region. The establishment of the Afghanistan International Investment Friends was an initiative founded with the objective to promote and to advise the Afghanistan authorities on better laws and policies that can help spur investment to enhance the stabilization of the war-ravaged country. The group would help advice the government on the need to put legislation in place that could protect foreign investment, promote economic growth and facilitate the creation of employment (Shaheen, 2010). Treaties uniting the two Countries On the signing of treaties, UAE and Afghanistan signed an extradition treaty with two other agreements namely: mutual legal assistance in matters of criminality and assistance, and cooperation on civil matters. The treaties were signed by the minister of Justice of the UAE and the minister for foreign a ffairs of Afghanistan. The signing of the bilateral treaty was motivated by the desire of the UAE to foster its bilateral, regional and international cooperation on legal and judicial areas (IPS, 2011). Aviation Industry and Foreign Policy The UAE was among the only three Arab countries that recognized Taliban as the legitimate government in Afghanistan; the other two were Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. During the Taliban regime, the UAE gave lee way to Ariana, the Afghan airlines to continue operating its services. Advertising Looking for research paper on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This was a recipe of smooth financial flows and development of organic relations between the two countries. These relations, however, was strained by the imposition of sanctions on Taliban by the UN, following the September 11 attack, UAE completely disabled its relationship because the Taliban was implicated as one of the prime supporters and sponsors of terrorists. Despite the UAE support for the US-led war on Afghanistan, it has maintained its presence and support of Afghanistan’s people by being the only visible country aiding in humanitarian and reconstruction efforts as well supporting the civilians and refugees (Encyclopedia of the Nations, 2003). Any hidden interest in the UAE Foreign Policy There is basically no hidden interest in the favorable policy of UAE towards Afghanistan. This is because, what UAE id doing is primarily within its foreign policy objectives, which include: feeling of identification within the Muslim community, which entails providing developmen t aid and assistance to fellow Muslims. The UAE value their Arab identity and this guides its foreign policies and relations with Arab countries like Afghanistan. Consequently, the UAE is interested in establishing peace and stability within its Gulf neighbors and states of the peninsula; it is within this framework that the UAE is interested in the promotion of close relations with all the states that it shares similar religion, history, language, culture and tribal affinities with, which it is applying in Afghanistan (Hellyer, n.d.). Supplementary role of UAE Military in Afghanistan The humanitarian assistance and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan have often been interrupted by violence and instability that characterize Afghanistan. Criminal and insurgent forces have continued to threaten the peace and tranquility Afghanistan. These factors have prompted the deployment of troops to serve three main purposes: protection of personnel working for the humanitarian organizations, provide enough security that is necessary for the humanitarian efforts and projects to succeed and to enhance the security, safety and stability of the local environment (Anon., 2006). Conclusion The government of the UAE has been paying a lot of attention on Afghanistan despite the country being ravaged by conflicts. The UAE provided financial and political assistance to the insurgents who fought in the Soviet Union. Immediately, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, UAE came as one among the few governments that recognized the Taliban authority. This was because Taliban controlled around ninety percent of the Afghanistan territory. It is through the reconstruction efforts of the UAE that have led to massive school enrolment, which is a direct result from the increased construction of schools and other learning institutions. The UAE has generally made a huge contribution towards the stabilization of the Afghanistan nation, and thus the stabilization of the whole region in gener al. References Anon. (2006). United Arab Emirates yearbook. New York, NY: Trident Press Ltd. Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. (2011). Afghanistan – UAE. Afghanistan Embassy – UAE. Retrieved from: http://afghanembassy-uae.com/en/afghanistan-uae.html Encyclopedia of the Nations. (2003). United Arab Emirates – Foreign policy. Nations’ Encyclopedia. Retrieved from: http://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/World-Leaders-2003/United-Arab-Emirates-FOREIGN-POLICY.html Hellyer, P. (n.d.). The Evolution of UAE Foreign Policy. The UAE Interact. Retrieved from: http://www.uaeinteract.com/uaeint_misc/pdf/perspectives/08.pdf IPS. (2011). UAE-Afghanistan: Extradition treaty signed. IPS Agency. Retrieved from: http://www.ipsnotizie.it/wam_en/news.php?idnews=5682 Katzman, K. (2011). The United Arab Emirates (UAE): Issues for U.S. Policy. Federation of American Scientists. Retrieved from: http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/mideast/RS21852.pdf Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (2011). UAE pledges US$ 250 mn for reconstruction in Afghanistan: Abdullah bin Zayed. Ministry of Foreign Affairs- UAE. Retrieved from: http://mofa.gov.ae/mofa_english/portal/46cabc33-968c-493a-b9e7-830add90ac86.aspx Shaheen, K. (2010). UAE takes action to help promote Afghan investment. The National. Retrieved from: http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/uae-takes-action-to-help-promote-afghan-investment UAE Embassy. (2009). Foreign Policy. UAE Embassy. Retrieved from: http://www.uae-embassy.org/uae/foreign-policy UAE Embassy. (2011). Foreign policy. UAE Embassy. Retrieved from: http://www.uaeembassy-newdelhi.com/theuae_foreignpolicy.asp UAE Interact. (2011). Government-Political system. UAE Interact. Retrieved from: http://www.uaeinteract.com/government/foreign_policy.asp UAE. (n.d). UAE Policy for the Provision of Direct Support to Afghanistan. Abu Dhabi Sites. Retrieved from: http://eaa.abudhabi.ae/Sites/EAA/Content/EN/PDF/Afghanistan-policy-eng,property=pdf,bereich=eaa,sprache =en,rwb=true.pdf US Department of State. (2011). Background Note: United Arab Emirates. State Government. Retrieved from: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5444.htm This research paper on UAE-Afghanistan Foreign Relations was written and submitted by user Krystal Park to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.