British Trade Minister Chris Bryant has praised the role of the UAE in negotiations on a Gulf-UK free-trade agreement as he called for a final push to close a deal.
Speaking at National Day celebrations in central London, hosted by Mansoor Abulhoul, UAE ambassador to the UK, Mr Bryant urged those in attendance to promote the talks where they could.
Chris Bryant, fourth right, at Dubai Airshow last month. Photo: Wam
In October, the Gulf Co-operation Council Secretary General Jasem AlBudaiwi met British ministers and officials to review successive rounds of the free-trade talks between the bloc and the UK.
"Could you help us get the GCC trade deal finally done?" Mr Bryant asked during a speech at the UAE celebration in London. "Every single person in here who has not managed to speak to one of the other countries in the GCC, could you just twist their arms?
"I'm not going to name the other countries, I'm not going to name individuals that you need to speak to, he added. "But honestly, this has been taking us far too long. I really want us to get this trade deal done, because I think it's in our geostrategic interest.
"It's in our personal interests. It's in the interest of trade. It's in the interest of supporting the rules based order around the world which has enabled all of us to prosper."
Mr Bryant pointed out the UAE was the UK's largest regional trading partner, with £25 billion ($33 billion) of bilateral trade in the year ending in June.
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