Abu Dhabi – President Vladimir Putin visited Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, seekingto attract over $1.3 billion worth of investments in Russia’s economy.
Putin, who came to the United Arab Emirates a day after signing a key oildeal with Saudi Arabia in Riyadh, was greeted by Abu Dhabi’s powerful CrownPrince Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan.
A dozen agreements worth more than $1.3 billion, notably in the energy,advanced technology and sectors, are expected to be sealed during thevisit, according to the Russian sovereign wealth fund.
As Putin made his way to the presidential palace, jets painted the skywhite, blue and red — the colours of the Russian flag — and ceremonialcannon salutes were fired.
The streets of Abu Dhabi were lined with Emirati and Russian flags, whileroad signs typically displaying warnings for motorists greeted Putin inArabic and Russian.
“The United Arab Emirates welcomes the visit of the Russian president,”read the signs.
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“Among the Gulf countries, the UAE is the leader in terms of trade withRussia,” Kremlin adviser Yuri Ushakov told the press a few days ahead ofthe visit.
In 2018, trade between the two countries had reached up to $1.7 billion.
“Relations with the Emirates are very advanced, and they are constantlyimproving,” Russian Economy Minister Maxim Oreshkin told reporters inRiyadh on Monday. -APP/AFP
