ABU DHABI:President Vladimir Putin visited Abu Dhabi yesterday, seeking to attract over$1.3 billion worth of investments in Russia's economy. Putin, who came to theUnited Arab Emirates a day after signing a key oil deal with Saudi Arabia inRiyadh, was greeted by Abu Dhabi's powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin ZayedAl-Nahyan.
A dozenagreements worth more than $1.3 billion, notably in the energy, advancedtechnology and sectors, are expected to be sealed during the visit, accordingto the Russian sovereign wealth fund.
As Putin made hisway to the presidential palace, jets painted the sky white, blue and red-thecolors of the Russian flag-and ceremonial cannon salutes were fired. The streetsof Abu Dhabi were lined with Emirati and Russian flags, while road signstypically displaying warnings for motorists greeted Putin in Arabic andRussian.
"The UnitedArab Emirates welcomes the visit of the Russian president," read thesigns. "Among the Gulf countries,the UAE is the leader in terms of trade with Russia," Kremlin adviser YuriUshakov told the press a few days ahead of the visit.
In 2018, tradebetween the two countries had reached up to $1.7 billion. "Relations withthe Emirates are very advanced, and they are constantly improving,"Russian Economy Minister Maxim Oreshkin told reporters in Riyadh onMonday. - AFP