The UAE ratified a trade and economic partnership agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) during the Supreme Eurasian Economic Council meeting, according to a statement. The EPA targets tariff reductions and cooperation in areas such as renewable energy, logistics, and construction with the five EAEU member countries: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia. The UAE had finalized trade talks with the EAEU in December.

Fast facts: Bilateral non-oil trade between the UAE and EAEU reached USD 29 bn in 2024, up 27% y-o-y.

This came during a visit led by Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Minsk, where he also met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the UAE-Russia strategic partnership and regional developments, according to a separate Abu Dhabi Media Office statement.

Al Nahyan also held bilateral talks with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, where the two sides formalized a trade in services and investment agreement, according to a separate statement. The agreement aims to expand UAE market access in Belarus across sectors including financial services, consulting, healthcare, and education.

UAE, China discuss energy and industrial ties: Industry Minister Sultan Al Jaber held talks with senior Chinese officials and business leaders in Beijing to advance cooperation in energy, industry, and infrastructure, Wam reports. Discussions covered joint projects in oil and gas, renewables, LNG, petrochemicals, and shipping, as well as potential investments in industrial and infrastructure initiatives. The visit comes as UAE-China non-oil trade rose 18% y-o-y in 1Q 2025, driven by a 32.5% increase in UAE exports.

On the meeting list: Al Jaber met with China’s Finance Minister Lan Fo’an, Communist Party official Liu Jianchao, and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank President Zou Jiayi. He also held talks with executives from the China National Petroleum Corporation, China National Offshore Oil Corporation, ZhenHua Oil, Wanhua, China Investment Corporation, Envision, and China Energy Engineering Corporation.

ALSO- UAEPresident Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and European Council President António Costa discussed strengthening bilateral relations in a phone call, state news agency Wam reports. They reviewed progress towards a comprehensive economic partnership agreement between the UAE and EU and addressed urgent regional matters, focusing on the need for an immediate Gaza ceasefire.

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