Putin Welcomes UAE President for High-Level Moscow Talks
MOSCOW : Talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, formally began at the Kremlin on Thursday following the UAE leader’s arrival in Russia on an official visit.
Welcoming Sheikh Mohammed and his delegation to Moscow, President Putin highlighted the depth and maturity of bilateral relations, noting that 2026 marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Russia and the UAE. He praised the UAE President’s personal role in strengthening what he described as a “multifaceted, dynamically developing and mutually beneficial” strategic partnership.
President Putin underlined the breadth of engagement between the two countries, citing sustained political dialogue across governments, parliaments, ministries, agencies, and business communities, alongside active cooperation within multilateral frameworks, including the United Nations and other international platforms.
He described the UAE as one of Russia’s most important trading partners in the Arab world, pointing to steadily growing bilateral trade and the active work of the intergovernmental commission, whose latest meeting was held in Dubai last month. He also noted the first-ever Russian–Emirati Business Forum and strong investment cooperation, with the Russian Direct Investment Fund and Mubadala having jointly implemented more than 60 projects.
The Russian president highlighted expanding cooperation in technology and industry, including the presence of Russian high-tech companies such as Yandex in the Emirati market, as well as major initiatives in the energy sector. He also emphasized the importance of humanitarian and cultural exchanges, referencing the Days of Russian Culture held in the UAE in November and the steady rise in Russian tourism, which reached approximately 1.5 million visitors in the first nine months of 2025.
President Putin congratulated the UAE on hosting the second international multisport tournament “Games of the Future” in Abu Dhabi in December, thanking the Emirati leadership for supporting the Russian initiative and cooperation in organizing the event.
On international and regional affairs, President Putin noted close coordination between Moscow and Abu Dhabi on key global issues, including developments in the Middle East. He acknowledged the UAE President’s role in facilitating recent trilateral negotiations within a security working group held in Abu Dhabi and expressed appreciation for the attention given to the Russian delegation.
The Russian leader reiterated the importance of addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and reaffirmed the principled position in favor of a two-state solution, emphasizing the establishment of a full-fledged Palestinian state coexisting peacefully and securely with Israel as the foundation for lasting regional stability. He also referenced ongoing attention to developments related to Iran.
President Putin said the discussions would continue both in broad format and in narrower composition, recalling their extensive negotiations held at the Kremlin in August 2025, during which both sides reviewed bilateral cooperation and outlined future plans for strategic development.
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