UAE delegation attends Shinzo Abe's funeral

A UAE delegation has attended the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo.

His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office, led the delegation to the event, which was attended by political leaders and heads of state from around the world.

Sheikh Khaled offered condolences from UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.

He also met Akie Abe, the former Japanese Prime Minister’s widow, and members of their family, to offer sympathies on the loss of a leader who served his country and his people with unfaltering dedication.

Sheikh Khaled was accompanied by Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and UAE Special Envoy to Japan, Shehab Ahmed Al Fahim, UAE Ambassador to Japan, and a number of officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed has led the UAE delegation attending the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo, and has offered condolences from the UAE President and Vice President. pic.twitter.com/Mi2JGCTGIS

— مكتب أبوظبي الإعلامي (@ADMediaOffice) September 27, 2022

The funeral is the largest official memorial for a government official to have taken place in Japan since the state funeral of former Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida in 1967.

Abe was Japan’s longest serving prime minister, having held office for eight years from 2012 to 2020.

He died at the age of 67, after being shot during a political campaign event on July 8.

Shinzo Abe contributed significantly to enhancing bilateral relations between the UAE and Japan.

This included the signing of a large-scale strategic partnership agreement during his visit to the UAE in 2018 to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries and advance strategic partnerships across various fields.