Relations between Russia and the Emirates
Reference Information
21.05.2008
Diplomatic relations between the USSR and the UAE were established on 8 December 1971. In 1986 the USSR Embassy was opened in Abu Dhabi, and in 1987 the UAE Embassy in Moscow. Since 2002 a General Consulate of the Russian Federation has been in operation in Dubai.
In December 1991 the UAE officially announced their recognition of Russia as a successor state of the former USSR.
Relations between Russia and the UAE are defined by a high level of political mutual understanding. In Abu Dhabi interest is expressed in the presence of Russia in the region and in further expansion of bilateral cooperation. The approach of the two countries is similar in regard to many international and regional problems, including questions of support to international peace and security, strategic stability, and anti-terrorism activities.
At the current time a stable political dialogue is in progress. A practice of regular consultations has developed, and there is exchange of delegations at various levels.
In April 1992 and October 1994 the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Russia, Andrei Kozirev, travelled to the UAE. In January and February 1993 the Minister for Defence of Russia Pavel Grachev visited. In November 1994 as part of a tour of a number of countries in the region the Chairman of the Government of Russia, Viktor Chernomirdin, visited the UAE.
From 2000 to 2003 the UAE was visited by special representatives of the President of the Russian Federation Ramazan Abdulatipov and Vasilii Sredin, the Chairman of the Committee of the State Duma for International Affairs Dmitrii Rogozin, the Deputy Chairman of the Government, Minister for Finance of the Russian Federation Aleksei Kudrin (to take part in the annual meeting of the Council of the Managers of the IMF and the World Bank in 2003). The President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Evgenii Primakov, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Aleksandr Saltanov, the Deputy Minister for Finance Sergei Kolotukhin, the First Deputy of the General Director of the Russian Aviation and Space Agency Valerii Voskoboinikov, a range of ambassadors on special missions from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Russia.
In March 2004 the Minister for Agriculture of Russia, Aleksei Gordeev, made a working visit to the UAE. In April the Mayor of Moscow, Yuri Luzhkov, travelled to Abu Dhabi to take part in the Moskva-Invest 2004 forum, and was received by the political leadership of the UAE. In November 2004 a delegation led by the Chairman of the Council of the Federation of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation Sergei Mironov took part in the memorial events in Abu Dhabi following the death of President Zayed.
An important event was the visit to Abu Dhabi in February 2007 by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Russia Sergei Lavrov.
In 2007 the Head of the department for Russian culture Mikhail Shvidkoi visited the UAE (in February), as did the Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation Mikhail Dmitriev (February, July). In September the Minister for Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation Rashid Nurgaliev held negotiations in Abu Dhabi with his UAE colleagues. In November a Russian delegation led by Deputy Director of the Federal Service for Military-Technical Cooperation of Russia Mikhail Petukhov took part in the Dubai 2007 international aviation and space industry exhibition. A delegation from the Russian Federation headed by the Deputy Minister for Industry and Energy Anotolii Yanovskii took part in the OPEC conference (Abu Dhabi, December).
The Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Aleksandr Saltanov and special representative of the President of Russia on questions of international cooperation and the fight against terrorism Anatolii Safanov travelled to the UAE as part of consultations between ministries for foreign affairs.
During the international forum on Iraq and Kuwait in April 2008 a meeting was held between Sergei Lavrov and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the UAE Abdallah Bin Zayid Al Nahyan.
Inter parliamentary relations are developing. In March 2008 a delegation from the Council of the Federation of Russia led by the Deputy Chairman of the Council for International Affairs Ilyas Umakhanov visited Abu Dhabi.
On 10 September 2007 Vladimir Putin made the first official visit to the UAE by a President of the Russian Federation in the history of Russo-Emirate relations.
In January 2008 the Emirates were visited by the Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, Head of Apparatus of the Government of the Russian Federation Sergei Narishkin.
Visits were made to Moscow: 2002-2003 - the Head of the Chancellery of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sultan bin Khalifa, the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the UAE Sagar Al-Suveidi, the head of the Department of Civil Aviation of Dubai, chairman of the Emirate Airlines group Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum; in November and December 2004 - a representation delegation from the Ministry for Defence of the UAE visited Tatarstan; December 2005 - the Chief of Joint Staffs of the UAE Hamad al-Rumeisi; September 2006 - Deputy Supreme Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the UAE, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Emirate Muhammed bin Zayed and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the UAE Abdallah Al Nahyan, who where received by the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin. The head of the Emirates’ external policy department again visited Moscow to take part in a working meeting with the Co-Chairman of the Russo-Emirate inter-governmental commission in October 2006, and was received by Sergei Lavrov. In June 2007 the Minister for Energy of the UAE Mohammed Al Hamli took part in the XI St Petersburg international economic forum.
Work is continuing on strengthening the contractual legislative base. An inter-governmental agreements has been signed on trade, economic and technical cooperation (January 1991); an agreement on cooperation between the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Russia and the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry in the UAE (May 1994); an agreement on military technical cooperation (November 2006); an agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the United Arab Emirates on cooperation in the field of the fight against crime (September 2007); an agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the United Arab Emirates on air transport (September 2007); an agreement between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the United Arab Emirates on regulation of the obligations of the former USSR (September 2007); a memorandum on mutual understanding in cooperation in the field of standardisation, metrology and pricing conformity between the Federal Agency for Technical Regulation and Metrology and the Department of the UAE for Standardisation and Metrology (September 2007); a memorandum of mutual understanding in relation to holding consultations between the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the UAE (September 2007); a memorandum of mutual understanding between the Federal Space Agency and the Organisation for Science and Advanced Technology of the UAE regarding cooperation in the field of research into and exploitation of space for peaceful purposes (september 2007); an agreement between Vneshekonombank and the National Bank of Abu Dhabi on technical accounting processes and repayment of state debts of the former USSR (September 2007).
At agreement stage are projects for an Agreement on avoiding dual tax obligations (Ministry for Finance), an Agreement on stimulation and mutual protection of capital investment (Ministry for Economic Development and Trade), a Memorandum on travelling on diplomatic passports with no visa requirement (Ministry for Foreign Affairs), an Agreement on protecting confidential information (FSB), an Agreement on mutual protection of intellectual property rights, used or acquired during bilateral work (Ministry for Justice), on mutual legislative assistance in criminal cases, on extradition and exchange of persons sentenced to prison terms (Ministry for Justice), on developing cooperation in the industrial field (Ministry for Industry and Energy), on cultural cooperation (Ministry for Culture), in the field of education (Ministry for Education and Science), on mutual recognition and equivalency of documents certifying education (Federal Service for Supervision of Education and Science).
Trade and economic cooperation. The trade turnover between Russia and the UAE in 2007 rose by 27%, amounting to approximately $821 million ($771 million was Russian exports and $50 million exports from the Emirates). Within Russian exports machines and equipment (generally specialised), precious metals (gold), ferrous metal production, timber, paper and chemicals occupy a major share.
In March 1997 the first meeting of the Inter-Governmental Russo-Emirates Commission on Trade, Economy and Technical Cooperation (founded 1994) took place in Abu Dhabi. As a result a Protocol was signed which sets out the creation of three working sub-commissions: on cooperation in the energy field, in trade and economy, and in the field of science and technology, and also measures to stimulate bilateral relations in the spheres of information, culture, tourism, etc. In Abu Dhabi in May 2005 and in Moscow in October 2006 meetings between the co-Chairs of the inter-governmental commission took place. In April and July 2007 the Inter-Governmental Commission held meetings of experts. Co-Chairs of the Commission are the head of Rosenergo DS Akhanov (appointed in December 2007) and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the UAE Abdallah bin Zayid Al Nahyan (appointed in February 2006). In January of this year at the end of the visit to Dubai by Sergei Narishkin a resolution was adopted by the Government on carrying out necessary measures to hold a second meeting of the Commission in Moscow during 2008 (planned for June this year).
Measures are being taken to develop investment partnership. Contacts are being made between the Ministry for Economic Development of the Russian Federation and the Investment Department of Abu Dhabi to prepare a Memorandum on cooperation.
In April 2008 during a visit to Abu Dhabi by the Vice Premier of the Russian Government, AL Kudrin, Russia and the UAE signed a Protocol on carrying out bilateral negotiations as part of the Russian Federation joining the World Trade Organisation.
In September 2005 the Russo-Emirates Business Council was set up. The Council’s Russian Co-Chair is General Director of Aeroflot VM Okulov. In September 2006 a delegation of Emirate business circles took part in the sixth joint meeitng of the Russo-Arab Business Council in St Petersburg. A significant event was the Russo-Emirates business forum organised by the Council which took place in Abu Dabi and timed to coincide with a visit by the President of Russia to the UAE.
Russian businessmen are gradually strengthening their position in the market in the Emirates. Such large Russian companies as Lukoil Overseas Ltd, Volga-Dnepr, Kurganmashzavod, Amtel, Stroitransgaz, Metallurgicheskaya Trubnaya Kompaniya, Interkomkholding, Alrosa, and the Metalloinvest holding have representations in the Emirates, especially in Dubai.
The largest project for bilateral cooperation is construction of the metallurgical factory in Shardzhe, carried out with the assistance of Metalloinvest (total cost of the project is $150 million).
Full discharge of the debt to the Emirates in a single payment of $562 620 980.48 as part of the inter-governmental agreement on obligations of the former USSR, signed during a visit to Abu Dhabi by the President of Russia, was of particular significance.
A range of Russian subjects of the Federation, above all Moscow, Moskovskaya Oblast, Cherlyabinskaya Oblast, Astrakhanskaya Oblast, Krasnodar Region, Tatarstan and Kalmikiya, are carrying out work to establish direct contacts with partners in the Emirates.
Negotiations are underway on the opening in Dubai of a Moscow Trading House, preparation of an exhibition of products from the Emirates in Russia, and on expanding contacts in tourism. In April 2004 Abu Dhabi hosted the meeting of the Moscow International Business Association, whose participants included the heads of a range of leading business structures of the town in addition to the Mayor of Moscow and many members of the government of the capital. During the world construction exhibition held in Dubai in November 2004 a delegation from the Government of Moscow led by the First Deputy to the Mayor Vladimir Resin organised a profile investment forum, where approximately 200 projects were presented. In June 2005 the Mayor of Dubai Qassim Sultan visited Moscow, and in November the Vice Mayor of Moscow Iosef Ordzhonikidze paid a return visit. Agreements were reached on preparing an Agreement on twinning. During a visit by the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, to the UAE in September 2007 the Mayor of Moscow, Yuri Luzhkov, visited Abu Dhabi as part of the official delegation. In March 2008 Dubai was visited by a delegation led by the Governor of St Petersburg Valentina Matvienko. She was accompanied by a group of prominent representatives of business circles from the city. During the negotiations which took place the possibility of the Emirates taking part in major projects in progress and planned in St Petersburg, including improvements to ports and equipping of tourist facilities, was examined.
Active contacts are supported in the space field. As part of the International Space Exhibition in Dubai in November 2007 the Deputy Head of the Russian Space Agency Vitalii Davidov met with representatives of the Organisation for Science and Advanced Technology of the UAE. Agreements were reached on the possibility of NPP VNIIEM taking part in the creation of the Emirates Dubai Sat-2 long distance exploration satellite on the Russian Kanopus-V platform and of delivery of electroreactive engines developed by OKB Fakel for equipping the Emirates’ Yakhsat series of communications satellites.
On the basis of the contract concluded in February 2007 between the Kosmatros international space company and the Organisation for Science and Advanced Technology of the UAE, the launch of the first Emirates long distance exploration satellite, Zemlya, is planned for 2008.
In September 2007 a Russian project for inter-governmental agreement on cooperation in the field of use of Glonass systems for peaceful purposes was passed to the Emirates.
Rosatom and Atomstroieksport are establishing contacts with the Emirates with the aim of defining concreted direction for cooperation in the field of atomic energy, including setting up water purification facility.
A good basis for developing contacts with the UAE through the justice systems has been laid by the signing in September 2007 of the inter-governmental Agreement on cooperation in the sphere of the fight against crime.
Cooperation in the spheres of culture, science and education are developing. Cultural and sporting events are held regularly in the UAE with participation by Russian representatives. The Emirates have been visited by the Virtuosi Moskvi orchestra conducted by V Spivakov, and the Kremlevskii Ballet. The Chamber Orchestra Ermitazh from St Petersburg and the Youth Orchestra from Voronezh took part in the VI Festival of Classical Music, which took place in Abu Dhabi in April 2007.
In March 2007 Abu Dhabi was visited by a delegation from the Union of Writers of Russia. An agreement was signed on cooperation with the literati of the UAE.
Contacts in the educational sphere are being developed. In August 2007 the Chelyabinskii University and the National University of the UAE (el-Ain) signed an agreement on scientific and technical cooperation.
In connection with the fact that the Emirates impose no quotas on educating their citizens in Russian universities funded by Federal budgets, during the 2007/2008 academic year there is no plan to allocate state grants for the UAE.
In 2007 more than 400 000 Russian tourists travelled to the Emirates. Russia was visited by more than 4000 people from the UAE travelling for various purposes. The Russian colony in the UAE amounts to approximately 10 000.
During a visit by the President of Russia to the UAE an exhibition of treasures from the Moscow Kremlin Museums was opened. As part of developing cooperation in the field of museum affairs, the Emirates sent five of their specialists on placement in museums in Moscow in 2007.
On the eve (9 September 2007) of a visit by the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, a ceremony was held in Sharjah to lay the foundation stone of a church, the first Orthodox church on the Aravis peninsula. Previously, the Mitropolit Smolenskii and Kaliningradskii Kirill received the agreement of the ruler of the Emirate of Sharjah, Sheik Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi, to this as part of realising an initiative by the Russian Orthodox Church.
10 Russian airlines fly to the Emirates, offering both scheduled and chartered flights. Since August 2003 the Emirates Airlines company has been carrying out flights on the Dubai-Moscow-Dubai route (by the end of 2006 there were more than 40 flights a week).
