Baroness Hayman: UK supports UAE on islands issue

London, Jan 29, 2009 (WAM) - Baroness Hayman, the Lord Speaker of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom, said her country's government and parliament supported the UAE's position on the issue of its three islands, Abu Musa and the Tunbs, which are still under the Iranian occupation.

The United Kingdom, she remarked, also supports the UAE's efforts to reach a peaceful solution to the issue through negotiations between the two countries or for that matter by referring it to the International Court of Justice.

Baroness Hayman's remarks came at a meeting in London on Tuesday with Speaker of the UAE Federal National Council Abdul Aziz Al Ghurair who is leading a delegation from FNC on a current visit to the UK.

Al Ghurair said the meeting discussed the need for lenient requirements by UK's higher education system to facilitate admission of UAE students to UK universities and institutes. Currently, he said, UAE students have to spend one mandatory pre-college year as a pre-requisite.

The meeting also discussed the need to make entry to UK easier for UAE businessmen and investors. He said Baroness Hayman promised to consider the two Earlier, FNC Speaker also held meetings with Chairman of the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs in the British Parliament MP Mike Gapes and Member Select Committee on Business and Enterprise Julie Kirkbride.

Gapes and Kirkbride stressed the need for seeking diplomatic and peaceful means to solve the issue of the three UAE islands.