United Arab Emirates (UAE) President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has conferred the Order of the Union medal on Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa “in recognition of his significant contributions to the promotion of bilateral ties”, the military’s media affairs wing said on Wednesday.

According to UAE-based Khaleej Times, the medal is the second highest honour awarded by the UAE to senior officials of friendly countries.

According to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the army chief, who is on a visit to the UAE, called on the Emirati president and discussed with him matters of mutual interest, bilateral defence and security cooperation and the regional security situation in the Middle East.

“The leaders agreed that Pakistan and the UAE share a great history of cordial relations and a deep-rooted spirit of brotherhood, which is transforming into an enduring partnership,” the ISPR said.

According to the ISPR statement, other recipients of Order of Union include former Lebanese president Emile Lahoud, Bahrain Prime Minister Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Britain’s Prince Philip, Dutch King Prince Willem-Alexander, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

As for Gen Bajwa, he has previously been awarded the Medal of Excellence by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Bahrain Order (first class) award by Prime Minister of Bahrain Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, Jordan’s Order of Military Merit by King Abdullah II, Medal for the Common Wealth in Rescue and Letter of Commendation of Russian Mountaineering Federation by a Russian envoy during his visit to Pakistan in December 2018 and Turkish Legion of Merit during a visit to Turkey in 2017, the ISPR said.