UAE, Belarus Sign Major Trade Deal in Minsk Talks

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office 

His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, visited Belarus and met with President Alexander Lukashenko at the Palace of Independence in Minsk.

At the start of their meeting, President Lukashenko warmly welcomed Sheikh Khaled and his team. He spoke about the strong and friendly ties between Belarus and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). President Lukashenko said Belarus wants to work more closely with the UAE in different areas to benefit both countries and their people.

Sheikh Khaled gave President Lukashenko greetings from His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE. He wished him good health, happiness, and success for Belarus. Sheikh Khaled also thanked the President for the kind welcome and hospitality shown to him and his team.

President Lukashenko asked Sheikh Khaled to pass on his greetings to the UAE President. He also wished the UAE and its people more progress and success in the future.

During their meeting, they discussed how to make their relations even stronger. They talked about working together more in business, investment, and development. They also shared their views on important happenings around the world and in the region. Both leaders said it is important to support peace and find peaceful solutions to problems so that countries can develop and people can live happily.

A big part of the visit was the signing of the Trade in Services and Investment Agreement (TISIA). This agreement will open up new chances for UAE companies to do business in Belarus, especially in banking, education, healthcare, and consultancy services. It will also bring more investment and partnerships between the two countries. Both nations believe this deal will make their economies stronger and bring benefits to their people.

Sheikh Khaled was joined by important UAE ministers and officials, including:

• Her Excellency Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation

• His Excellency Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, Minister of State

• His Excellency Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Foreign Trade

• His Excellency Saif Saeed Ghobash, Secretary-General of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council

• Her Excellency Maryam Eid AlMheiri, Chairperson of the Abu Dhabi Media Office

• His Excellency Ibrahim Salim Mohamed Al Musharrakh, UAE Ambassador to Belarus

Belarus is becoming a very important trading partner for the UAE. In 2024, their trade (not including oil) reached about US$3.9 billion. This is five times more than in 2023 and 47 times more than in 2021 when trade was only US$82.6 million.