ABU DHABI, 30th May, 2024 (WAM) -- The Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA), a globally leading diplomatic centre of excellence in the UAE, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Finn Church Aid (FCA), Finland’s largest international aid organisation, to establish the basis for mutual collaboration.
The MoU was signed by Nickolay Mladenov, Director-General of AGDA, and Dr. Ikali Karvinen, FCA’s Deputy Executive Director, in the presence of Amna Mahmoud Fikri, Ambassador of the UAE to the Republic of Finland, during the AGDA leadership’s week-long visit to Finland at FCA’s invitation.
The MoU will allow both parties to exchange knowledge and expertise in critical areas such as development policy, peacebuilding, and sustainable development.
On this occasion, Nickolay Mladenov, Director-General of AGDA, said, “At AGDA, our mission is to equip our students with unparalleled knowledge and skills, grooming them for leadership roles in diplomacy. Partnerships, such as this MoU with Finn Church Aid, are essential to enriching our academic environment with global expertise and fostering international research collaboration. Finn Church Aid’s renowned work with the world’s most vulnerable populations in fragile regions is invaluable. Their insights will profoundly enhance our training, empowering our future diplomats to adeptly navigate and address the pressing global challenges of our time.”
Meanwhile, FCA Deputy Executive Director Dr. Ikali Karvinen, said that the role of diplomats is increasingly challenging, requiring global knowledge and skills and a deep local contextual understanding.
He added, “States and their diplomats will continue to play a key role in supporting sustainable development. FCA is excited about the opportunity to work together with AGDA, a leading diplomatic academy. We commend AGDA’s efforts to train diplomats on solving pressing development challenges in the most fragile contexts of the world.”