His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai met with Prime Minister of Russia Mikhail Mishustin at Expo 2020 Dubai on December 4. Sheikh Mohammed and Prime Minister Mishustin also exchanged perspectives on accelerating global recovery from the pandemic.
The meeting was attended by top UAE leaders, including, Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance.
During the meeting, Sheikh Mohammed is said to have praised the strong bilateral relations between the two countries under the leadership of UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and President Vladimir Putin of Russia.
During the meeting, the two sides discussed ways to boost bilateral relations in various sectors to achieve the aspirations of both nations. The meeting also explored ways of facilitating cooperation between the private sectors of both countries. The UAE is currently home to more than 4,000 Russian companies, said the Government Media Office.
UAE and Russia expressed optimism about enhancing partnership and cooperation in vital sectors, including - trade, investment, energy, industry, innovation, financial services, banking, customs, food security, agriculture, education, transport, and information.
The two leaders also discussed means to enhance partnership in communication technology, media, culture, tourism, sports, environmental protection, natural resource management, circular economy, fourth industrial revolution and space.
The UAE is Russia's largest trade partner in the Gulf region, accounting for 55 per cent of the total trade between Russia and the GCC region. During the first half of 2021, the value of non-oil trade between the UAE and Russia reached about USD 2 billion, witnessing a significant growth of more than 80 per cent compared to the same period last year.
The UAE is also a top Arab destination for Russian investments, accounting for nearly 90 per cent of Russia's total investments in Arab countries. On the other hand, the UAE is the largest Arab investor in Russia, with a contribution of more than 80 per cent of the total Arab investments in Russia. The volume of foreign investments exchanged between the UAE and Russia is about USD 1.8 billion.
Sheikh Mohammed also met on Saturday met President Gotabaya Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka during his visit to the country’s Pavilion at Expo 2020 Duba, and President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria during his visit to the Nigeria pavilion.
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