Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE's National Security Advisor, hailed Iran as an important and powerful country in the region with a unique geopolitical position that connects the East to the West during his meeting with Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council.

Bin Zayed also affirmed that maintaining close and brotherly relations with Tehran is a priority for Abu Dhabi.

On his part, Shamkhani stressed the need for joint efforts to end the military and security crises in the region, adding that “dialogue and understanding must replace military approaches to the settlement of disputes.”

The Iranian diplomat hoped that the visit by an Emirati official to Iran would be the beginning of a new era of relations between the two neighboring countries.

“Warm and friendly relations with neighbors, as well as an exchange of economic, trade, and investment capabilities, are the Islamic Republic of Iran’s main foreign policy priorities,” he said.

Shamkhani added that countries in the Gulf region can both bring prosperity to their nations and also play a key role as an energy hub in the regional and international economy if they cooperate.

Earlier, the Iranian news agency ISNA revealed that Al Nahyan's visit comes at the invitation of Shamkhani, noting that Al Nahyan is set to meet with several high-ranking officials during his visit to develop and strengthen bilateral relations.