President Sheikh Mohamed meets world leaders at Brics summit

Sheikh Mohamed pledges that country will use membership of growing bloc to achieve a more prosperous future

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shake hands on the sidelines of the Brics summit. AFP

Mr Putin and Mr Erdogan on the sidelines of the Brics summit. AFP

Mr Putin, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping with Zinash Tayachew, wife of Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, during a reception at the summit. EPA

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, centre, and Mauritania's President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani at the reception. EPA

President Sheikh Mohamed meets Mr Xi during the Brics summit in Kazan, Russia, on Wednesday October 23. Photo: UAE Presidential Court

Sheikh Mohamed in discussions with Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa. Photo: UAE Presidential Court

Sheikh Mohamed with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Photo: UAE Presidential Court

Sheikh Mohamed greets Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India. Photo: UAE Presidential Court

Sheikh Mohamed with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi. Photo: UAE Presidential Court

Sheikh Mohamed and other Brics leaders, from left, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, pose for a family photo at the Brics summit. AFP

Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at a Brics summit session. AP

President Sheikh Mohamed arrives at the Brics summit. Reuters

Sheikh Mohamed at the Brics summit which is being staged in Kazan, Russia. Reuters

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs shake hands during the welcoming ceremony prior to an informal dinner on the sidelines of the Brics Summit. AP

From left, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira attend the welcoming ceremony. AP

Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, Mr Putin, centre, and Mr Modi attend a concert before an informal dinner on the sidelines of the Brics Summit in Kazan. EPA

Mr Putin, right, and Mr El Sisi shake hands during their meeting on the sidelines of the summit at Kazan City Hall in Kazan, Russia. AP

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian attends a welcoming ceremony at Kazan Airport upon his arrival to participate in the summit. Reuters

Mr Putin meets Mr Xi on the sidelines of the event. AFP

Mr Putin meets Dilma Rousseff, chairwoman of the New Development Bank and former president of Brazil. Reuters

Mr Putin greets South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on the sidelines of the summit. EPA

President Sheikh Mohamed on Wednesday held high-level talks with a number of world leaders at the Brics Summit in Russia, including his first meeting with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.

The UAE leader also took part in discussions in Kazan with Chinese President Xi Jinping; Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India; Abdel Fattah El Sisi, President of Egypt; Cyril Ramaphosa, President of South Africa, and Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of Ethiopia.

Talks centred on efforts to advance international co-operation across economy, trade and development. The leaders emphasised the importance of fostering partnerships to drive progress and prosperity.

Earlier, Sheikh Mohamed had set out the UAE's plans to use its membership of the expanded bloc to drive development. This is the first meeting the UAE has attended, after joining the organisation at the start of the year.

“I was pleased to participate in the Brics summit today in Kazan, Russia. The UAE supports multilateral co-operation that fosters peace and development while strengthening collective action to address global challenges,” Sheikh Mohamed wrote on social media.

“Through its membership in Brics, the UAE works resolutely with member states to achieve a more stable and prosperous future for all.”

The 16th Brics summit is taking place until October 24. The event, with the theme Strengthening Multilateralism for Equitable Global Development and Security, brings together the leaders and government of several Brics nations, alongside representatives of invited states, state news agency Wam reported.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, said the UAE's participation reflected the country's aim to work with all nations to enhance stability and drive growth on a global scale.

"Our focus is on promoting inclusive and sustainable development, in line with the global community’s shared goals," he said. "In an increasingly interconnected world, partnerships across regions that harness the dynamism and potential, of emerging economies, play a crucial role in advancing the common good.”

Brics is an intergovernmental group of emerging economies comprising Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Russia, South Africa and the UAE.

Sheikh Mohamed arrived in Russia on Sunday for an official visit which included high-level talks with President Vladimir Putin. Mr Putin, on Monday, hailed the strong relations between Russia and the UAE during talks with Sheikh Mohamed, thanking him for the role the country has played in mediating prisoner of war exchanges with Ukraine.

Sheikh Mohamed said Russia's co-operation was a key factor in ensuring it was a success and reaffirmed the UAE's commitment to carrying out such “humanitarian endeavours”.

President Sheikh Mohamed discusses UAE's Brics role with global leaders at summit

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“The Emirates is always ready to make any additional efforts for this cause, as well as any effort to help with the settling crises in a way that can benefit all parties and support peace in the world,” Sheikh Mohamed said during talks held at the Kremlin as part of a reception to mark his visit to Russia.

Sheikh Mohamed thanked Russia for its presidency of Brics and “reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to building effective partnerships”, state news agency Wam reported on Monday.

The leaders also reviewed the situation in the Middle East, with Sheikh Mohamed emphasising the urgent need to prevent further escalation of regional conflict and reiterating the call for “just, lasting and comprehensive peace based on the two-state solution”.

Sheikh Mohamed and Mr Putin also attended the opening of the Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Education Centre at Primakov School in Moscow, as the two countries enhance co-operation in the field of education.

The two leaders toured the centre, meeting pupils and staff. A presentation on the centre’s curriculum focused on the Arabic language, as well as history, culture, arts, and science and technology.