"Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa welcomed Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, on Sunday, ahead of their bilateral meeting in Quito amid rising tensions between the US and Iran in the Middle East. Footage shows Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan being received by Noboa in Independence Square, in front of Carondelet Palace, where he laid a floral offering in the colours of the United Arab Emirates flag. The meeting takes place as Ecuador and the UAE prepare to sign a recently concluded Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which provides preferential access to the Emirati market for 98 per cent of negotiated products and immediate zero tariffs for 75 per cent, within a universe of more than 4,000 goods. This comes amid regional escalations between the US and Iran in the Middle East, which triggered political instability, air route closures, and global security alerts. In an official statement, Ecuador condemned attacks attributed to Iran in response to United States intervention, considering that they affect regional stability. Ecuador's Foreign Ministry urged the international community to uphold international law and expressed its solidarity with the governments and peoples of the Middle East affected by the aggressions."