His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai has received credentials of new ambassadors of fraternal and friendly countries at Mushrif Palace in Abu Dhabi.

Lt-General Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Shaikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs and Shaikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan Foreign Minister were also present at the ceremony.

Shaikh Mohammed received the credentials of ambassadors Kanji Fujiki of Japan Liborio Stellino of Italy Maya Tissafi of Switzerland Osama Ibrahim Nafa'a of Hungary Mohammed Amin Al Kareb of Sudan Merete Juhl of Denmark Riitta Swan of Finland Zoran Milicevic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Wael Al Sayed Mohammed Gad of Egypt Hadi bin Nasser Al Hajri of Qatar Frank Molen of the Netherlands and Patrizio Fondi Head of the European Union delegation to the UAE.

Shaikh Mohammed welcomed the new ambassadors and wished them and their families a pleasant stay in the diverse Arab-Muslim community which warmly embraces hundreds of people from different nationalities and cultures with generosity love and tolerance.

In a chat with the diplomats he said that the doors of his office and those of other Shaikhs ministers and senior officials are always open for joint consultations and exchange of constructive views and ideas that would open up new avenues of cooperation between our state and people and nations and people of their respective countries for the welfare and benefit of all.

He added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is ready to facilitate their diplomatic mission with access to other officials and institutions in the state in order to discharge their duties properly.

Shaikh Mohammed said: "Our state offers abundant opportunities for decent living feasible investment and innovative and creative energies which create a solid broad base for attracting smart minds...in addition to tourists who have a passion for diverse rich cultures and indigenous heritage of our state and people as well as all facilities for medical tourism."

He also emphasised that the UAE led by the President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan is working on building bridges of communication and cooperation with other sisterly and friendly countries to forge a universal human community based on peaceful co-existence equality justice and respect for others without distinction to race religion and language.

The new envoys emphasised that they would do whatever is in their power to build strong balanced ties between their respective countries and people and the leadership government and people of the UAE.

Present also were Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; Ahmed Juma Al Za'abi Deputy Minister for Presidential Affairs; Lt-General Musabbah Rashid Al Fattan Director of Dubai Ruler's Office; Khalifa Saeed Suleiman Dubai Director of Protocol and Hospitality; and a number of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. - Wam