HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces has praised US President Barack Obama for his efforts to stop the spread of nuclear weapons in the Middle East.


Sheikh Mohamed met with Obama and US Vice President Joe Biden at the White House on Monday to discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues, UAE news agency WAM reported.


And following talks, Sheikh Mohamed said: �I am grateful to the president for his personal leadership and sustained commitment to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons into the Arabian Gulf.


�I am hopeful that a final agreement can be reached that addresses the vital concerns of the UAE, other Arabian Gulf nations and the global community.


�The president and I also made important progress in today�s meeting on new steps to enhance the already deep security partnership between the US and UAE.


�I look forward to continuing these discussions with the President and other GCC leaders at next month�s Camp David summit.�


The Crown Prince and the US president expressed a shared commitment to the importance of the GCC-US alliance as a key pillar of regional stability and security, WAM reported.


The WAM report said the two leaders agreed on the need to enhance security cooperation between the GCC and US to challenge aggression and extremism throughout the region, a key focus of next month�s Camp David meeting.


The meeting also touched on the latest developments in the Arab region and ways to achieve security and stability in Yemen, Syria and Libya, preserve their national and territorial unity and put an end to the bloodshed and loss of innocent lives.


Also highlighted was the implementing of UN resolutions and the GCC initiative regarding Yemen for defusing the crisis, while the role of the Arab coalition, led by Saudi Arabia against the Houthis rebels, was also discussed.


The two sides talked about the air strikes carried out by the international coalition against ISIL and the need for the international community and coalition to continue their commitment and counter terrorist organisations to prevent them from spreading so as to maintain the world�s security and stability, the WAM report stated.


Both sides underscored the importance of achieving security, stability and peace, promoting the principles of tolerance and peaceful coexistence in the region and the world, and dismissing extremism, fanaticism, violence and terrorism.


WAM reported that HH Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy National Security Adviser, and HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and US Secretary of State John Kerry also attended the meeting, which reinforced the strong bilateral relationship between the UAE and the US.


Meanwhile, Sheikh Mohamed and President Obama also welcomed their countries� growing bilateral trade relationship, noting that the UAE remains the US� largest trading partner in the Middle East. They discussed further economic cooperation and the importance of open trading and investment policies.


Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority (EAA), Yousef Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to the US, Mohammed Mubarak Al Mazrouie, Undersecretary of Abu Dhabi�s Crown Prince Court, and Lt. General Juma Ahmed Al Bowardi, Military Advisor to Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces have also joined the Crown Prince on his two-day visit to Washington.


By 7DAYS