Comment by the Information and Press Department on UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s visit to Moscow

On May 28−29, Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, is visiting Russia. This visit is of high importance and will give an extra impetus to building a constructive political dialogue with Abu Dhabi.

On May 28, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will hold talks with his Emirati counterpart that will mainly cover the key issues on the bilateral agenda in various areas with a special focus on trade, the economy and investment.

The ministers will also discuss international issues and share opinions on the current situation in the Middle East and North Africa, including Yemen, Iraq, Libya and Syria.

The internal armed conflict in the Republic of Yemen is a deeply concerning issue. The main task at the moment is to insist on a cease-fire in Yemen and the renewal of an extensive political dialogue under the auspices of the UN. The goal is to achieve domestic resolution of the conflict with the Yemeni people determining the development path for their state. In this respect, we wish success to the new UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed.

For its part, Russia will readily support any effort made to restore peace in the friendly state of Yemen, to ensure its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

It is generally accepted that the existing political and socioeconomic problems in the Middle East can only be resolved by peaceful means through an inclusive dialogue that will bring consensus without any external interference.

There has been a positive trend in the business related cooperation between Russia and the UAE. This Arab country is strengthening its status as one of Russia’s key partners in the Middle East. The presence of Russian businesses in the UAE is expanding while the trade turnover is gathering pace. This can be seen from the record value of mutual trade between our countries in 2013, which amounted to $2.5 billion. There are many prospects for joint projects in third countries.

The joint Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic and Technical Cooperation has been a success. At the meeting in Moscow, our ministers will discuss in more details the fulfillment of the fourth meeting’s resolutions of October 2014 and agree on additional measures to extend commission activity.

During his visit, Foreign Minister Al Nahyan, who is a co-chairman of the inter-governmental commission, will meet with the chairman of the Russian part of the commission, Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov.

We are optimistic about the investment aspect of Russian-Emirati cooperation. The main areas here are the manufacture of equipment for oil and gas production, engineering, and the pharmaceuticals industry. It is expected that the execution of projects within a joint investment foundation, established by the Russian Direct Investment Fund and the Emirati Mubadala Foundation, will successfully continue.

Moscow hopes that Foreign Minister Al Nahyan’s visit will strengthen mutual understanding and diversified cooperation between Russia and the UAE, bring out ways to implement the high potential of our business cooperation and expand areas of cooperation.

We hope that the upcoming Russian-Emirati meetings will also contribute to seeking ways to ensure stability and security in the Persian Gulf region and the entire Middle East and North Africa.