Abu Dhabi hosts UAE-Russian joint Committee meetings

Abu Dhabi, Feb 18, 2013 (WAM) - The third meeting of the UAE- Russian Joint Committee began here yesterday at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. H. H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister and the Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Valentinovich respectively headed their sides. The preparatory meeting, which was held yesterday, gathered the UAE and Russian officials. The UAE side was chaired by Ambassador Khalid Ghanem Al Ghaith, Assistant Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs, while the Russian side was headed by Evgeny Popov, Deputy Director of the Department of Asia and Africa for Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Economic Development in Russia. The two sides praised the depth of friendship and cooperation ties between the two countries, stressing the importance of these meetings to enhance the bilateral relations between them. Al Ghaith hailed the strong and distinguished relationship between the UAE and Russia, hoping that the meetings would further contribute to opening new prospects for the development of bilateral relations so as to reflect the aspirations and directives of senior leadership of the two countries, and to serve the common goals and interests. The meeting discussed ways to support the development of bilateral relations between the two countries and explore new areas of bilateral cooperation, particularly in the economic, trade, investment and energy, oil and gas, financial and banking, education, health and transport fields. The relations between the two countries witnessed an increase during the past few years in numerous joint projects and investments. The trade between the UAE and Russia stood at about US$1. 176 billion in 2011. - Emirates News Agency, WAM