Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi, Minister of International Cooperation and Development (MICAD), and Head of the UAE Committee for the Coordination of Foreign Humanitarian Aid, has commended the directives of the UAE leadership on provision of unlimited support to the refugees worldwide.

She added that the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, reflect the state's contribution and credibility to handle the refugee crisis and its related issues.

Sheikha Lubna said the current refugee issues were humanitarian and required concerted international efforts and partnerships to ensure their repatriation to their home countries.

She made the remarks yesterday during a meeting at the MICAD with Lt. Gen (R) Abdul Qadir Baloch, Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions in Pakistan, Fazlullah Reshteen, Charge d'Affaires at the Afghanistan embassy in the UAE and Antonio Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

They discussed the co-operation between the UAE with UNHCR and the latest developments regarding the refugees. Sheikha Lubna also discussed with the Pakistani minister and Afghan diplomat, ways to strengthen co-operation and partnerships with the two countries, as well as issues of the refugees and how they would return home.

The Pakistani minister briefed Sheikha Lubna about the joint Pakistani-Afghani efforts, the countries hosting the Afghan refugees and the UNHCR to hold a high-profile international conference on this issue.

He thanked the UAE for its efforts in the light of the directives of its leadership to support Pakistan in humanitarian and development areas.

The meeting was attended by Hazza Al Qahtani, Under-Secretary of the MICAD, Najla Al Ka'abi, Assistant Under-Secretary for International Cooperation, Rasmiya Al Dhahiri from the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other officials.