President Vladimir Putin praised His Highness Sheikh Mohamed for his efforts in bolstering relations between the two countries and advancing them to the level of a strategic partnership…reports Asian Lite News
President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in Moscow yesterday on an official visit to Russia. He later met President Vladimir Putin at Kremlin.
Upon his arrival at Vnukovo International Airport, an official reception ceremony was held for His Highness Sheikh Mohamed, with the national anthems of both the UAE and Russia played and an honour guard assembled to welcome him.
His Highness is accompanied on this visit by a delegation that includes H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs; H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs; Ali bin Hammad Al Shamsi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for National Security; Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology; Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade; and Dr. Mohammed Ahmed bin Sultan Al Jaber, UAE Ambassador to the Russian Federation etc.
Putin hosts dinner
President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan attended a special dinner hosted in his honour by his counterpart Vladimir Putin, at the latter’s official residence.
During the meeting, both sides engaged in friendly conversation. Sheikh Mohamed thanked President Putin for his ongoing commitment to strengthening UAE-Russian relations and wished the country and its people continued prosperity.
In turn, the Russian President welcomed the UAE President’s visit, praising his efforts in bolstering relations between the two countries and advancing them to the level of a strategic partnership.
President Sheikh Mohamed will participate in the 16th BRICS Summit, which will be hosted by the Russian city of Kazan from 22nd to 24th October. This will mark the UAE’s first participation in the summit as a member of BRICS.
UAE mediation in Russia-Ukraine
The UAE has successfully mediated a new exchange of captives between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Ukraine, resulting in the release of 190 captives, bringing the total number of captives exchanged through UAE mediation efforts to 2,184.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) expressed its appreciation to both countries for their cooperation and responsiveness to the UAE’s mediation endeavours, which contributed to the success of the prisoner exchange despite the challenges posed by the ongoing war.
The success of the mediation efforts reflect the trust of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Ukraine in the UAE, as well as their appreciation of the UAE’s role in supporting a diplomatic path to resolve the current crisis between the two countries.
The Ministry emphasised that the success of the latest mediation, the ninth since the beginning of 2024, demonstrates the cooperative and friendly relations between the UAE and both countries.
Furthermore, the Ministry affirmed the UAE’s commitment to continuing all efforts aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine, stressing the importance of dialogue, and de-escalation.
The UAE also aims to support all initiatives to mitigate the humanitarian repercussions resulting from the crisis, including on refugees and captives.
Notably, since the beginning of this year, the UAE’s mediation efforts have succeeded in completing eight exchanges of war captives between Russia and Ukraine, in addition to a successful exchange of two prisoners between the United States and the Russian Federation in December 2022.
ALSO READ: UAE leaders review nation’s progress