UAE president says armed forces keep country secure and stable

DUBAI, May 5 (Xinhua) -- United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan said Saturday that the armed forces unified by the UAE's seven emirates was "an important milestone," state news agency WAM reported.

May 6 in 1976, when the seven emirates unified its armed forces, marked "an important milestone in the history of the UAE which thanks to the army became an oasis of security and stability," the president said.

The UAE became a model of development and prosperity in the region, he noted, saying "a unified army is the source of reassurance and the fundamental component in building the state and deepening values belonging to the homeland and loyalty to the leadership."

"As our country celebrates the 42nd anniversary of the Unification of the UAE Armed Forces, we salute and express our great and sincere pride and appreciation for the efforts and the sacrifices," he said a day before the Army Unification Day.

The army "has contributed strongly to the preservation of peace, security and stability of the homeland ... in support of legitimacy, in combating terrorism, in preserving regional and international peace," he added.

The Gulf Arab state UAE, a major oil supplier, was founded on Dec. 2, 1971. Enditem