Putin, MBZ meet in St. Petersburg, vow to boost Russia-UAE ties

Salim A. Essaid

Jun 16, 2023

Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al-Nahyan on the sidelines of the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in Saint Petersburg on June 16, 2023. (Photo by Ilya PITALEV / SPUTNIK / AFP) (Photo by ILYA PITALEV/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images) — Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the sidelines of the Saint Petersburg International Economic Forum, St. Petersburg, Russie, June 16, 2023. — ILYA PITALEV/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images

DUBAI — Russian President Vladimir Putin met with United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday, and discussed strategic partnerships in addition to stabilizing the Ukraine crisis.

The two leaders expressed their commitment to ongoing bilateral ties, according to the state-owned Emirates News Agency (WAM).

"I am pleased to be here today with you, your Excellency, and we wish to build on this relationship and we put our trust in you to do so," Sheikh Mohammed told Putin.

The UAE president was accompanied by a delegation that included climate envoy and the head of the COP28 UN climate conference CEO Sultan Al Jaber, in addition to other members.