Russian Foreign Minister to visit UAE
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) today as part of a five-day Middle East tour.
Lavrov will meet Gulf leaders to discuss a range of issues concerning Russia’s multifaceted interests in the region. Of note are expanding business partnerships and energy cooperation. In 2019, the UAE’s state-run ADNOC signed a comprehensive strategic framework agreement with Russia’s third-largest oil producer, Gazprom Neft, for oil and gas exploration.
Russia and the UAE have increased bilateral energy talks in recent years, alongside their cooperation with OPEC+’s crude production cut agreement. Likewise, Moscow has also contributed alongside Saudi Arabia in stabilizing the energy market after prices climbed steadily from pandemic lows last year.
Expect today’s visit to outline ways of strengthening and expanding strategic cooperation in promising areas, including gas, nuclear and electric power. For the UAE, this will mean promoting economic growth by investing in Russia’s oil and gas sector. Meanwhile, Moscow will try to enhance its superpower status and secure its geopolitical dominance in the region. Likewise, attention will be paid to the recent rise in oil prices after OPEC+ announced it would keep production largely steady through April.
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