LONDON: UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan on Saturday congratulated David Lammy on his appointment as UK secretary of state for foreign, Commonwealth and development affairs, state news agency WAM reported. “Sheikh Abdullah expressed his wishes to Secretary Lammy for success in his work, praising the historical relations between the two countries,” the WAM statement said. Lammy was appointed to the post on Friday following a general election in Britain that saw the Labour Party win after 14 years of Conservative rule, with Keir Starmer taking over as prime minister from Rishi Sunak. Al-Nahyan also expressed his “aspiration to work with Secretary Lammy to reinforce and develop these relations to achieve the mutual interests of the two countries and benefits their peoples,” WAM added. Lammy, who has replaced former foreign secretary David Cameron, spoke with Al-Nahyan during one of first calls in government as part of efforts to “reconnect Britain to build a better future,” he said in a post on social platform X. On Friday, Lammy said that “the world faces huge challenges, but we will navigate them with the UK’s enormous strengths,” adding that his country will be reconnected “for our security and prosperity at home.”