The Russian president in visit to the Arab world: In the UAE and Saudi Arabia to discuss the situation in Ukraine and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and bilateral relations
Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Wednesday that relations between Russia and the UAE have reached an unprecedented level.
Russia and the UAE cooperate within the framework of the OPEC+ alliance and participate in major oil and gas projects.
Putin visits the UAE and Saudi Arabia on a rare foreign tour.
He will also hold talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, covering oil, OPEC+, and the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin began talks with the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan.
The Russian President is accompanied by a large diplomatic delegation that includes Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov, and Central Bank President Elvira Nabiullina.
The delegation also includes Yuri Borisov, Director of the Russian Space Agency “Roscosmos,” and Alexei Likhachev, Director of “Rosatom,”and Kirill Dmitriev, director of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, and others.
After the talks in Abu Dhabi, Putin will head to Riyadh, where he is scheduled to meet with the Crown Prince and Saudi Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman.
Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov announced, Tuesday, that Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to visit both Saudi Arabia and the Emirates, Wednesday.
Peskov added to reporters, “The Russian President will discuss bilateral relations and the settlement in the Middle East during his visits to the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”.
In response to a question regarding the most important topics that will be discussed during the visit, with the exception of oil, Peskov replied, “Bilateral relations will be discussed, as well as an exchange of views on the international agenda and the regional agenda in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, but above all we will talk about bilateral relations”.
This meeting is considered the second between the Russian and Emirati presidents this year, as the two leaders previously met last June on the sidelines of the “Petersburg International Economic Forum,” and Mohammed al Nahyan also visited Petersburg in October 2022.
