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UAE says U.S. immigration policy its internal affair

Xinhua, February 1, 2017 Adjust font size:

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said Wednesday the temporary visa ban ordered by U.S. President Donald Tump on visitors and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries is America's sovereign right, local media reported.

The ban was not against a specific religion per se, as the majority of the Muslim countries were not in the list of countries whose citizens were affected, said UAE Minister of Foreign and International Affairs Cooperation Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, Gulf News reported.

At a joint press conference in Abu Dhabi with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ahmed Abu Al Ghait, secretary-general of the Arab League, the top UAE diplomat said all nations have the right to make their sovereign decisions.

Al-Nahyan was responding to a question regarding Trump's decision on Friday to put a four-month hold on allowing refugees into the U.S. and temporarily ban visitors from Syria, Libya, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Somalia, and Sudan.

Trump said the travel restrictions will help protect Americans from terrorist attacks.

On Sunday, Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince and the UAE's Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed, had a telephone conversation with Trump.

The UAE politician said during the phone call that "extremism and terrorism have no religion nor identity."

"The UAE is looking forward to overcoming this regional chaotic and unstable stage through joint cooperation and efforts serving mutual interests, achieving peace, stability and restoring security," the UAE's state news agency WAM quoted Sheikh Mohammed as saying. Endit