Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan
Emir of Abu Dhabi
visits Vladimir Putin in Russia
On October 20, 2024, the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, arrived in Moscow. An informal meeting was organized between the Emir of Abu Dhabi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the day before the start of President Al Nahyan's official visit as part of the BRICS summit in Kazan.
The Emir of Abu Dhabi informally invited to meet Vladimir Putin in Novo-Ogariovo
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has been the President of the United Arab Emirates since May 2022. He is also the ruler of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the largest of the seven states that make up the country. Abu Dhabi is also the capital of this country of 10 million inhabitants. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed responded to the invitation of the Russian President, who welcomed him informally to his home this Sunday, October 20.
President Vladimir Putin held an informal meeting with Sheikh Mohammed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates and Emir of Abu Dhabi (Photo: Artyom Geodakyan/TASS/ABACAPRESS.COM)
With his hand on his heart and bowing to the Russian President, the Emir of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed expressed the honor he felt at being invited by Vladimir Putin to his country and to his home. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed was received at Novo-Ogariovo, President Putin’s residence. In the Kremlin’s statement, the choice of the residence to host the Emirati president is specified to emphasize the private and friendly nature of the meeting. “I thank you for inviting me to your home,” said Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed. “My visit to Russia is solid proof that many opportunities are open to us.”
The Russian agency TASS emphasizes that the meeting took place “in an informal atmosphere.” During his exchange with his counterpart, President Putin recalled that investments between the two countries had reached $7 billion. “About 60 projects are financed by our sovereign funds, for a total amount of $2 billion. Tourist exchanges between our countries are developing. We pay special attention to humanitarian cooperation, organizing joint cultural days between Russia and the Emirates. We also pay special attention to education."
"Thank you for coming on the eve of your official visit to discuss these issues with me in an informal setting at this business dinner at my residence," President Putin said, as reported by the Kremlin. "Of course, we will also touch upon very serious developments in the Middle East. I will also inform you about other complex circumstances that directly concern Russia, first of all the Ukrainian crisis." The meeting between the two presidents is organized on the eve of the official visit of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed within the framework of the BRICS meeting.
The next day, the two heads of state inaugurated an educational center in a primary school (Photo: Sergei Karpukhin/TASS/ABACAPRESS.COM)
The BRICS summit (acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, South Africa and China) brings together around twenty heads of state from emerging countries. Russia is hosting the summit this year in Kazan. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed concluded his friendly meeting with President Putin by saying: “We are very close to each other; my flight today was only four and a half hours. There are many links between us, such as culture, traditions and mentality, so we are not very far apart. This creates a strong bridge between our two countries. We are very determined to improve our bilateral relations and strengthen the ties we currently have.” The following day, the two heads of state met in a more formal context, at the inauguration of the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak educational center at the Primakov school. The center is named after the mother of Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, one of the wives of the founder of the United Arab Emirates, who was called the “Mother of the Nation.”
Nicolas Fontaine
ROYAL ARTS VISIONS; Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Emir of Abu Dhabi visits Vladimir Putin in Russia