Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed met Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, president of Kazakhstan, in Abu Dhabi on Monday.
The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces welcomed the president to the Presidential Palace with an official reception including the playing of Kazakhstan's national anthem and a 21-gun salute. Mr Tokayev was also welcomed by the Guard of honour and an Emirati folklore group who lined up to greet him.
Mr Tokayev shook hands with senior UAE ministers and officials who came to welcome him, while Sheikh Mohamed welcomed the senior officials accompanying the Kazakhstani President.
The two are set to discuss ways to further co-operation between the UAE and Kazakhstan, as well as regional and international developments.
"I welcome our friend Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on his first visit to UAE after assuming office as President of Kazakhstan," Sheikh Mohamed said on Twitter.
"Our ties are deep-rooted and based on trust, co-operation and mutual respect. Our meeting today represents a renewed opportunity to strengthen our partnership."
The pair witnessed the signing of a number of energy and economic agreements between the two countries. These included co-operation in the petrochemical industry, a bilateral trade agreement and a partnership between the UAE Central Bank and Astana International Financial Centre.
The President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and I witnessed the exchange of a number of MoUs. We seek to enhance our bilateral ties across various fields so as to serve the common interests of both our nations. pic.twitter.com/S2bVIcqJ67
— محمد بن زايد (@MohamedBinZayed) January 27, 2020
Mr Tokayev was elected president in March last year. In August, Dr Mohammed Al Jaber, the UAE's ambassador to Kazakhstan, met the Kazakh Foreign Minister Beibut Atamkulov, and extended an invitation from President Sheikh Khalifa to Mr Tokayev to visit the UAE.
Monday's visit to Abu Dhabi is the first for Mr Tokayev. The former Kazakhstani president, Nursultan Nazarbayev, visited the UAE in 2016.
And Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed last visited Kazakhstan in 2011, where he met Mr Nazarbayev.
