’Postponement of FTA talks between UAE-US just a routine matter’
Khaleej Times
’Postponement of FTA talks between UAE-US just a routine matter’
By A Staff Reporter
12 March 2006
ABU DHABI - US Ambassador Michele J. Sison yesterday termed the postponement of talks for Free Trade Agrement (FTA) between US-UAE a routine matter.
"It is nothing unusual as it happens when two countries negotiate the complex issues involved in these talks," US Ambassador Michele J. Sison told reporters here yesterday.
She said that both the countries need more time to prepare their case for negotiations, stating that the postponement has nothing to do with the on-going P&O take over, which has faced tough opposition from US lawmakers.
She said that both the nations are committed to the FTA, which will open new business opportunities for the two countries.
US Ambassador said that President Bush’s statement on P&O matter is clear and reflective of how the administration in Washington views the importance of the deal and it is also indicative of country’s strong bilateral ties with the UAE.
Earlier, the Chamber Training Institute (CTI) of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce (CTI-ADCCI) and Industry and the University of Washington (UW), Seattle, Washington, signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) to cooperate in developing a broad-based region-to-region educational activities in a mutually beneficial framework. The MoU was signed by Engr. Saleh Salem bin Omeir Al Shamsi, President of the ADCCI, and Susan E. Jeffords, Vice Provost for Global Affairs of the University of Washington.
Under the agreement, the two sides will explore the potential opportunities to establish a UW Centre for graduate studies in cooperation with CTI-ADCCI and based on benchmarks for accreditation of curriculum and graduate studies programmes.
The MoU is aimed at collaboration by both the sides in developing a broad-based, region-to-region framework for cooperation on educational developmental activities. The agreement also calls for proactive encouragement of linkage between business houses, commerce and education in Abu Dhabi and Seattle.
It also plans to produce graduates who are world class life-long learners with wide-ranging skills in going through the global knowledge-based economy and contribute to the growth of a knowledge-based society.
Under the agreement, the CTI-ADCCI and UAW will work together for the possible development and implementation of specific educational projects such as work force, technical and executive training, to be offered to the ADCCI clients in Abu Dhabi by the University of Washington Extension (UWE) under separate written detailed educational project agreements between the UWE and CTI-ADCCI.
It is also aimed at the possible establishment of a UWE office in Abu Dhabi through CTI-ADCCI, depending on the needs of any educational project agreement under implementation.
The signing ceremony was attended by Michele J. Sison, the US Ambassador to the UAE, ADCCI Director General Mohammed Omar Abdullah and several members of the ADCCI Board of Directors and officials from the US Embassy.
