Dubai: The UAE and Russia are set to usher in a new chapter in bilateral relations as a historic meeting between President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his Russian counterpart takes place in Abu Dhabi today.
A milestone for UAE-Russia relations, Vladimir Putin's official visit is the first of its kind by a Russian president since relations between the two countries were established in 1986.
Putin's historic visit to the UAE is also part of Russia's stated intention of bolstering ties with Arab and Muslim countries.
Putin's chief foreign policy aide Sergei Prikhodko told reporters that talks with the UAE leadership would focus on Middle East peace, Iran's atomic ambitions and sectarian violence in Iraq, according to Reuters.
Prikhodko said Russia would use the visit to promote the idea of holding an international conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict involving all regional players. The visit also comes amid growth in tourism and trade ties. A Russian diplomat in Abu Dhabi told Gulf News that bilateral trade is expected to reach a record $800 million (about Dh2.9 billion) this year.
