Release of Prisoners, Development of Bilateral Cooperation, and Food Security: President of Ukraine Met with President of the UAE in Abu Dhabi
During his official visit to the United Arab Emirates, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy held extended and one-on-one talks with President of the UAE Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi.
The Ukrainian leader thanked the United Arab Emirates for facilitating the release of Ukrainian military personnel from Russian captivity. The country has already mediated 12 exchanges. Ukraine expects to bring home even more Ukrainians in cooperation with the UAE. This was one of the key topics of the talks.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed his counterpart about the battlefield situation and the involvement of North Korean soldiers in the war against Ukraine. He stressed that Russia's alliance with North Korea and Iran poses direct threats to the entire world, including the United Arab Emirates, and called for increased sanctions against the Russian Federation.
The President spoke of Ukraine's efforts to end the war and achieve a just and lasting peace.
The Ukrainian leader also stressed that despite the Russian aggression, our country remains one of the world's guarantors of food security. The humanitarian initiative “Grain from Ukraine” has helped save millions of lives during its implementation: Ukraine has delivered more than 286 thousand tons of agricultural products to 15 countries in need. Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented the new “Food from Ukraine” program aimed at helping the Syrian people and invited the UAE to support it. The parties additionally discussed possible projects for creating a food hub in Egypt and prospects for implementing agricultural programs in Ukraine.
The parties also discussed the development of bilateral cooperation, particularly in the fields of innovation, economy and trade. The President spoke about the key areas of partnership that would be beneficial for both countries.
Before the full-scale Russian invasion, the trade turnover between Ukraine and the UAE amounted to USD 1.15 billion. Due to Russia's aggression, it decreased, but it is growing again every year.
In the presence of the Presidents, the First Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine – Minister of Economy of Ukraine, Yuliia Svyrydenko, and the Minister of State for Foreign Trade of the UAE, Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the UAE. The document significantly liberalizes access to the market of the United Arab Emirates for almost all Ukrainian goods. In addition, it covers services, investment and digital trade. This is the first time that Ukraine has concluded such an agreement with a Gulf state.