Delivered by: His Excellency Mohamed Abushahab, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative

Mr. President,

The United Arab Emirates reaffirms its unqualified condemnation of last September’s acts of sabotage which targeted the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines in the Baltic Sea.

Such attacks threaten international security, stability, and prosperity. They are dangerously disruptive to global energy markets, which depend upon international cooperation, and cause significant ecological damage. They merit this Council’s sober attention and the international community’s concern.

Furthermore, we underscore our respect and support for the ongoing national investigations by the competent authorities in all relevant countries, and we continue to monitor their progress. We also note the heightened international interest in this issue and recognize the legitimate equities at stake and therefore encourage cooperation between all relevant countries and entities.

In that vein, we welcome the updates on the status of the investigations offered to this Council by Denmark, Germany, and Sweden through their joint letters of 21 February and 10 July 2023, which were sent to the President of the Security Council. We appreciate the increased information sharing reflected in yesterday’s letter.

As investigations are still ongoing, it is vital to avoid pre-judging their outcomes. We await their swift conclusion, the transparent communication of their findings, and timely updates as appropriate.

To conclude, the UAE takes attacks against cross-border critical infrastructure extremely seriously. They must never be tolerated, and we expect to see those responsible held to account.

Thank you, Mr. President.