Putin visit seals big deals
ABU DHABI — Russian President Vladimir Putin concluded his state visit to the UAE on Tuesday, which saw both the countries sign deals worth billions of dirhams.
Putin arrived in the UAE capital from Saudi Arabia where he met the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz of Saudi Arabia, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, received Putin at the Presidential Airport to a thundering 21-gun salute.
As Putin’s bomb and bullet proof vehicle, Aurus Senat, proceeded to the Presidential Palace, overhead traffic signs welcomed the state guest in Arabic and Russian messages while the streets were lined with Emirati and Russian flags.
At Qasar Al Watan, jets painted the sky in Russian colours and a traditional musical performance greeted the special guest.
“I welcome President Vladimir Putin as an honoured guest to the UAE. This historic visit reflects the strength of UAE-Russia relations, which we will continue to jointly promote at all levels for the mutual benefit of our nations,” Sheikh Mohamed tweeted.
According to Russian officials, agreements worth $1.3 billion were signed between the two countries in areas including energy, trade and investment, sustainability and environment.
Putin and Sheikh Mohamed also met Emirati astronaut Hazzaa Al-Mansoori who recently concluded a successful space mission.
Russian President Vladimir Putin met UAE astronauts Hazzaa AlMansoori and Sultan Al Neyadi on the sidelines of the visit. The space partnership between the two countries helped the UAE complete its first successful space mission, which saw Hazzaa spend eight days on the International Space Station (ISS) last month.
Putin expressed his happiness on visiting the UAE, and wished the two astronauts success on future missions “in service of their country, and contributing towards progress and development in the space sciences”.
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, praised the “fruitful UAE-Russian cooperation” in the space sciences and industry, which culminated in the successful space mission.