During his visit, Sheikh Mohamed met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Angela Merkel UAE and Germany both expressed concern about growing tensions in the Middle East BERLIN: The UAE and Germany vowed to continue their fight against terrorism and violent extremism — in all its forms, at both regional and international levels — in a joint statement released on Wednesday. The statement was released on the occasion of the visit of Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan to Germany. During his visit, Sheikh Mohamed met with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Chancellor Angela Merkel. In the statement, the UAE and Germany both expressed concern about growing tensions in the Middle East and both called on Iran to play a “constructive role” in the region and “refrain from any escalatory steps,” as well as respecting sovereignty and non-interference in the affairs of other countries. The UAE and Germany agreed on the importance of all parties in the region refraining from any actions that could escalate existing tensions. The two countries discussed the situation in Yemen and their support for the ongoing efforts by UN envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths. They also agreed that a military solution would not work in both Syria and Libya, calling the Syrian conflict a “priority for the international community as a whole” and the need for a “political solution” in Libya. The close political, social and economic ties between the two countries were also discussed during the crown prince’s visit.