On Wednesday, 6 December, Vladimir Putin arrived in the United Arab Emirates on an official visit. The Russian leader is expected to visit Saudi Arabia later the same day, Aydinlik reports.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Abu Dhabi to meet with the head of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. According to a Kremlin statement, the main topic of the meeting was bilateral relations. International issues, primarily the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, was also discussed.
Earlier, Yuri Ushakov, aide to the Russian head of state, said that the first meeting of the leaders would be held with the participation of delegations, after which the talks would be held in a one-on-one format.
In his speech at the beginning of the meeting, Vladimir Putin noted that relations between the UAE and Russia were strengthening in many areas. He said:
“The UAE celebrated 52 years since the formation of the state. I want to congratulate you on this and I want to remember that the Soviet Union was one of the first to recognise an independent, sovereign state. The United Arab Emirates is Russia’s main trading partner in the Arab world. Last year, trade turnover increased by 67.7 per cent, and this year, I think, it will be even higher. Industrial co-operation is also being promoted, I mean co-operation in setting up certain production facilities in the UAE and Russia. A number of large projects are being implemented in the oil and gas sector. We are also co-operating within the OPEC+ framework. Of course, we will discuss the Palestinian-Israeli conflict with you, and we will also talk about the Ukrainian crisis.”
Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, for his part, said:
“At the outset, I would like to note that relations between Russia and the UAE have a historical character. In recent years, they have been actively developing in various fields in the interests of both countries and peoples. I would like to emphasise that I very much appreciate your personal effective role in strengthening bilateral relations. And in this regard, I would like to say that the UAE is Russia’s largest trading partner in the Middle East and the Gulf region. I would also like to mention that the UAE is the largest investor in the Russian economy, and over the last year, investment in the non-oil sector has increased by 103 per cent. This is an unprecedented jump, which indicates the special nature of the relationship between our countries. I will be happy to continue our joint work to strengthen bilateral co-operation in various fields. Of course, we give special priority to development in such areas as energy, infrastructure, advanced technologies and others.”
After the talks, the leaders held a working lunch and discussed agenda issues. After the contacts in Abu Dhabi, the Russian president visited Saudi Arabia.
