UAE President meets President Putin ahead of BRICS summit in Russia

President Sheikh Mohamed arrived in Moscow on Sunday for an official visit to Russia, for high-level talks with President Vladimir Putin.

He attended a special dinner hosted in his honour at Vladimir Putin's official residence on Sunday evening, where Sheikh Mohamed thanked him for his commitment to strengthening UAE-Russian relations and Mr Putin spoke of bolstering ties, state news agency Wam reported.

The UAE leader received an official reception ceremony after touching down at Vnukovo International Airport, with the national anthem of both countries played as a guard of honour lined up.

Sheikh Mohamed's delegation includes Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs; Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology; Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade; and Ahmed Al Sayegh, Minister of State.

Also with the delegation is Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed, deputy chairman of the Presidential Court for special affairs and Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoun, adviser for special affairs.

Sheikh Mohamed and Mr Putin are on Monday set to review efforts to strengthen ties in various sectors, including the economy, trade, investment and energy.

Their discussions will be held as part of the strategic partnership between the countries. The leaders are also expected to explore regional and international issues of mutual concern.

President Sheikh Mohamed will meet President Vladimir Putin ahead of a Brics summit in Kazan from Tuesday.

While in Russia, Sheikh Mohamed will also take part in the 16th Brics summit, being hosted in Kazan from October 22 to 24. It will be the UAE’s first participation in the summit as a member of the organisation.

The UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia and Argentina were invited to be part of an expanded bloc, initially made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, in August last year, before joining on January 1.

The body was formed in 2009 to serve and promote the interests of the world's leading developing nations. It is viewed by some as an alternative to the firmly established G7 group of developed countries.

Sheikh Mohamed's visit to Russia is in support of efforts to bolster long-standing links between the countries.

Vladimir Putin met Sheikh Mohamed during a state visit to the Emirates in December. During a meeting at Qasr Al Watan in Abu Dhabi, they discussed issues of mutual interest, including the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine.

The two men met in St Petersburg in June last year as part of Sheikh Mohamed's working visit to Russia, which coincided with the St Petersburg International Economic Forum.

The UAE is Russia’s largest Gulf trading partner, accounting for 55 per cent of total Russian-Gulf trade.