UAE president begins Moscow visit, talks with Putin to focus on regional, global affairs

On October 20, President of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in Moscow for a two-day visit, during which he will hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Sheikh Mohamed’s plane landed at Vnukovo Airport, and he is accompanied by a high-level delegation, Caliber.Az reports per Russian media.

The group includes UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Secretary General of the Supreme National Security Council Ali bin Hammad Al Shamsi, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, and Mohamed Alabbar, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Eagle Hills and Emaar Properties.

On October 20, the leaders of Russia and the UAE are expected to engage in informal talks. President Putin has personally invited his Emirati counterpart to his residence in Novo-Ogaryovo, saying it will be a more relaxed setting for the first stage of discussions.

"I have invited you to my home directly," Putin said, according to local reports. Formal discussions are scheduled for October 21, where leaders will explore relations between Moscow and Abu Dhabi, as well as key international issues, including the situation in the Middle East.

Notably, trade between Russia and the UAE has tripled over the past three years, according to President Vladimir Putin. Russian president highlighted that bilateral investments between the two nations now total $7 billion. Although trade slightly declined in the first seven months of 2024, both leaders plan to address this issue during their discussions.

Putin also expressed his gratitude to the UAE for mediating a prisoners exchange between Russia and Ukraine. Thus, earlier this week, on October 18, Russia and Ukraine conducted a prisoner exchange, facilitated by the UAE, involving 95 individuals from each side.

Relations between the two countries have strengthened since Russia invaded Ukraine. The UAE leader will also participate in the BRICS summit, which begins on October 22 in Kazan.

According to a Kremlin statement, Sheikh Mohammed affirmed the UAE’s commitment to further enhancing ties with Russia.

By Aghakazim Guliyev