Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the present state of political, cultural, trade and military relations with the UAE; and if he will make a statement. [137836]

Alistair Burt, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State: The UK has excellent relations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), demonstrated by the visit of the Prime Minister on 5 November. The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), the Secretary of State for Defence, my right hon. Friend the Member for Runnymede and Weybridge (Mr Hammond), the Chancellor of the Exchequer and I have visited over the last year. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, was in London for the Jubilee, and met the Prime Minister in June. The UK-UAE Taskforce was established in July 2010 with the aim of improving UK-Emirati relations across the board. His Excellency Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and I will chair the next UK-UAE Taskforce on 24 January in London.

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