STEADy gROWTH iN TiES AT vARiOUS LEvELS
Sheikh Abdullah highlighted the rapid growth in bilateral relations in the space sector. “I would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to the Russian minister and the Russian firms, especially the Russian space agency, Roscosmos, for advancing our space partnership which culminated in the first space mission and the launch of the first Emirati astronaut into the International Space Station (ISS) last month. We are all proud of Hazzaa AlMansoori and happy that these moments will live forever in the memory of the Emirati people, especially the youth,” he said.
“Hazzaa’s eight-day space mission aboard a Russian spaceship to the ISS will have a far-reaching impact on the scientific and knowledge aspects in the UAE and encourage many Emirati and Arab youth to venture into the journey of research, knowledge and adventure.”
The UAE and Russia have over recent years cooperated to maintain the balance in the world oil markets and “tackle imbalances in supply and demand fluctuations” to ensure stability. “The UAE is looking forward to consolidating this partnership with your country in sectors of energy, oil and renewable energy, which constitute the sustainable source of energy for future generations,” the UAE Foreign Minister told the Russian minister.
The two-way trade has seen “remarkable growth” over the recent years. “The UAE and Russia today are maintaining advanced strategic trade and economic partnership. The UAE is the key trading partner to Russia in the Gulf region. In the same context, I invite the two countries to set a time frame to double the trade exchange under the joint work approach and based on certain performance indexes,” Sheikh Abdullah said.
On the investment sector, Sheikh Abdullah called for increasing mutual investments, particularly in sectors like oil, energy, renewable energy, base metal, construction and food security. He noted that special focus should be given to food security. “There is a prosperous market that can tap Russia’s huge potentials and the UAE’s logistical capacities which Moscow can benefit from not only in inter-trade between the two countries but also through the UAE as a gateway to the region’s markets.”
Sheikh Abdullah noted that tourism between the UAE and Russia has grown by “leaps and bounds” driven by mutual agreements. The entry visa waiver agreement has led to “remarkable increase” in tourism arrivals from Russia from 580,000 tourists to nearly one million.