TAMPA, Fla., U.S. Central Command welcomes the United Arab Emirates into the International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC).

I appreciate the UAE’s decision to join the IMSC and in taking an active role in securing the freedom of navigation for ships transiting the region and in contributing to the maintenance of security and stability in the region.

We appreciate the United Arab Emirates’ leading role in regional security matters and welcome their commitment to preserving the free flow of commerce, which is a linchpin of the global economy.

Threats to the freedom of navigation are an international problem requiring an international solution, and we are pleased that the United Arab Emirates will be joining the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Australia, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the United Kingdom, and the United States as part of that solution.