Sheikh Khaled attends Eurasian Economic forum in Minsk

His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, reaffirmed the UAE's commitment to strengthen relations with member states of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) for stronger economic partnerships in the future.

An Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the Eurasian Economic Union was signed, which Sheikh Khaled called a significant milestone in UAE-EAEU relations, serving as a catalyst to further increase trade volumes and unlock new avenues of economic cooperation.

Chaired by President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting in Minsk on Friday brought together heads of state and government from the member countries of the EAEU.

The UAE participated as a guest of honour alongside leaders from invited nations including Uzbekistan, Cuba, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Mongolia, Zimbabwe and Myanmar.

During his address, Sheikh Khaled thanked Lukashenko for inviting the UAE to participate in the meeting and underscored the importance of fostering closer cooperation to generate greater trade and investment opportunities.

Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kazakhstan's leader Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and President of the Kyrgyz Republic Sadyr Japarov were among those who attended the meeting.

The EPA is expected to further enhance private-sector collaboration, strengthen supply chains and empower entrepreneurs and SMEs to expand their operations globally.

Building on years of economic cooperation, bilateral non-oil trade between the UAE and EAEU nations grew by 27 per cent in 2024 to reach US$29 billion, while trade between the two partners witnessed a fourfold increase since 2021.