Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed in Russia on two-day official visit

Abu Dhabi Crown Prince meets Russian president Vladimir Putin on Friday

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and Vladimir Putin pictured at the Russian Grand Prix in 2015. Mohammed Al Hammadi / Crown Prince Court – Abu Dhabi/ file photo

Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed arrived in Moscow on Thursday to begin an official two-day visit to Russia.

The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces will hold talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin on Friday.

Sheikh Mohammed's delegation includes; Sheikh Tahnoun bin Zayed, National Security Adviser; Dr Anwar Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; Ali bin Hammad Al Shamsi, Deputy Secretary-General of the Supreme National Security Council, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority; Mohammed Al Mazrouei, Under-Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court, and Maadhad Al Khaili, UAE Ambassador to the Russian Federation.

In March, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and Mr Putin discussed friendship and co-operation between the two countries in a telephone conversation.

The two sides reviewed bilateral relations and ways to further develop them in the interest of their countries, as well as means of promoting economic, investment and trade aspects between the UAE and Russia.

Sheikh Mohammed last visited Moscow in April last year where the leaders discussed efforts to bring about an end to conflicts in the region.

During the meeting, Sheikh Mohammed pointed out that the relations between the UAE and Russia are old and developing at all levels, and both countries were eager to strengthen and drive forward those developments, in the interests of both their nations.

Two months prior, at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference, Moscow and Abu Dhabi announced they would jointly produce a fifth-generation fighter jet in the UAE.

And with US -Russia relations appearing to be at an all-time low, the UAE - as a friend to both nations - is trying to help to defuse those tensions.

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Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed and Vladimir Putin discuss relations between UAE and Russia

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi in talks with Putin