The balanced rhetoric that is embraced by the UAE is based on the leadership's vision for promoting the principles of peace and co-existence between the peoples of the world, said Lt General. HH Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, during a public forum today.

The UAE's outstanding experience in communication has earned it a notable stature at both regional and international levels, he added, while speaking at the Public Diplomacy and Government Communication Forum, which was attended by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation; HH Sheikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid; Brigadier Sheikh Mohammed bin Tahnoun bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, director general of Security and Ports Affairs at Abu Dhabi Police GHQ; Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan; Dr. Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Secretary-General of the Co-operation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, and a big number of senior officials from the UAE.

"The UAE has pursued mutual dialogue and direct communication as the path of official rhetoric," he stated, while highlighting the importance of managing dialogue in an effective way to help achieve the country's strategic goals and serve its higher interests.

The founder of the UAE, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, used internal and external communication as an effective tool in bolstering understanding, rapprochement and co-operation between the people of the world, Sheikh Saif noted.

Sheikh Zayed, he further noted, addressed both negative and positive external communication in a wise manner. The late leader supported effective communication with the British media, and hosted their reporters during the 1973 war at a conference held in October of that year in London, to help them learn the truth about developments in Egypt.

"The UAE, led by President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, continues to pursue this balanced and open path to further bolster communication and development in the country," he said.

Traditional media should enhance their role by developing their tools, techniques and content to be able to disseminate the civilized message of progress taking place in carious spheres in the country.

Openness, transparency, clarity and direct dialogue at forums and government departments were cited by Sheikh Saif as the most notable standards of communication in the UAE.

"Work is underway, however, to develop communication tools to keep pace with, and cater to technological advancements, and to maintain a balanced and open approach," he added.

He further praised His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, for harnessing developments and using state-of-the-art communication technologies to serve their people.

H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid ordered the live coverage of the fire that engulfed The Address Downtown Dubai Hotel on New Year's Eve 2016, with a clear message that the government has nothing to hide from its citizens or the world, Sheikh Saif noted.

He also stressed that the UAE's participation in the war in Yemen is being aged to counter "evil and greed", and is appreciated by all, because the UAE generously supports legitimacy and humanitarian operations in the country.

He also highlighted the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development and the Emirates Development Bank as two vehicles for sending the UAE's message of generous humanitarian giving to the world.

The individual initiatives of both HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid and HH. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed are extremely important carriers of official messages that bolster government rhetoric at various levels.

"They both graduated from the same leading Emirati school of communication and the same military establishment to lead communication at the domestic, regional and international levels in an effective manner. They transformed communication into a foundation of the UAE government. Communication can enable states to achieve their goals, where strong communication is the basis of the success of armies," Sheikh Saif bin Zayed said.