Khalifa, Mohammed praise UAE Armed Forces’ chivalry

Khalifa, Mohammed praise UAE Armed Forces’ chivalry Staff Reporter / 6 May 2013 The UAE armed forces were hailed for their chivalry, peace-keeping and deterrent abilities on the occasion of 37th Armed Forces Unification Day by the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The two leaders said the forces have strived to strengthen community bonds and have maintained peace at home and in the region with modern technology and strategic programmes. In a statement published by Diraa Al Watan (National Shield) magazine on the occasion of the 37 th Armed Forces Unification Day, Shaikh Khalifa said: “We greet and encourage you in your tireless efforts to improve your skills and qualifications to be able to serve your homeland and enhance its unity.’’ The President said that “building strength means building peace and the best use of force is to achieve security, justice, political and community stability internally” and to those in need in other countries. Shaikh Mohammed lauded the forces for their bravery, magnanimity, altruism and self sacrifice. “The unification and development of our armed forces contributed to enhancing our competencies and experiences and helped define our prime objectives towards sustainable development, a collaboration that unleashed our national capabilities to assume leadership positions worldwide,” he said. He recalled that the path was not easy and there were many hardships and challenges along the way, but hard work and perseverance helped in uniting the armed forces, he said. “My brother UAE President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and I were fortunate to share with our founding fathers this path in the early stages. We learned from our supreme commanders valuable lessons in leadership and perseverance,” he said. Shaikh Mohammed said learning was an ongoing process and asked the men and women of the forces to “live up to our expectations”. He also wanted them to keep pace with the latest developments in artillery systems and armament training. “Always be fit, armed and geared up for anything as we are living in a world swayed by turmoil and unrest, a world where friendships do not exist but interests. We are confident in our policies and methods based in establishing bilateral and friendly ties with the rest of the world, but at the same time we need to stay focused and alert to preserve our peace and stability. God orders us to sustain our strength and prepare ourselves to confront any danger.” He also thanked General Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and called him a true leader who had played a significant role in developing the forces. news@khaleejtimes.com Taylor Scott International