BAKU, 1st November, 2025 (WAM) -- Saqr Ghobash, Speaker of the Federal National Council (FNC), has met with Mircea Abrudean, President of the Senate of Romania,on the sidelines of the International Parliamentary Conference marking the 30th anniversary of the adoption of Azerbaijan's Constitution.

During the meeting, Ghobash affirmed the close and growing ties between the UAE and Romania, built on mutual respect, shared interests, and a common vision to strengthen strategic cooperation across multiple sectors.

He highlighted the strong momentum in UAE-Romania relations at both the political and economic levels, particularly following the official visit of Romania's former Prime Minister to the UAE in April 2024, which opened new avenues for partnership in energy, investment, innovation, and food security.

Ghobash underlined the FNC's keenness to enhance parliamentary dialogue and coordination and to strengthen parliamentary diplomacy as a key pillar supporting bilateral relations. He also proposed revitalising the UAE-Romania parliamentary friendship committee through regular programmes and exchanges between specialised committees.

He also stressed the value of joint engagement within the European Parliament, noting Romania's active role in EU institutions as a bridge to further strengthen UAE-EU relations.

Looking ahead, Ghobash pointed to promising opportunities for cooperation in renewable energy, green hydrogen, food security, advanced technologies, maritime transport, and artificial intelligence. He welcomed the establishment of the UAE-Romanian Business Council as a vital platform to advance private-sector collaboration.

He also emphasised the key role Romania could play in supporting the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the UAE and the European Union, noting that its success will depend on close coordination between governments and parliaments to ensure effective implementation.

Ghobash extended an invitation to Abrudean to visit the UAE and the FNC to continue discussions and explore new areas of cooperation.

Abrudean, in turn, commended the progress in UAE-Romania relations, particularly in the parliamentary sphere, and affirmed that continued dialogue and exchanges between the two sides will further strengthen their partnership and serve mutual interests.

In a separate meeting, Ghobash met with Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, Chairman of the Senate of Pakistan, where both sides reaffirmed the deep-rooted and historic ties between the UAE and Pakistan, which date back to the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. They stressed that these relations continue to grow on the foundations of mutual respect, understanding, and shared aspirations.

The two sides commended the distinguished and steadily expanding parliamentary cooperation between the FNC and Pakistan's Senate, noting their vital role in supporting broader bilateral relations.

They underscored the importance of the UAE-Pakistan parliamentary friendship committee in fostering the exchange of expertise, enhancing coordination, and unifying positions on issues of mutual concern.

Ghobash and Gilani expressed optimism that strong parliamentary relations will further promote economic and investment cooperation between the two countries. They noted that the UAE is among Pakistan's leading investors and key trading partners in the Middle East and Africa, with bilateral trade reaching US$10.9 billion in 2024.

Gilani affirmed the Pakistani Senate's commitment to strengthening cooperation with the UAE at all levels, to further advance the partnership between the two friendly nations and their parliaments.