Klaus Iohannis’ visit to UAE, the first of a Romanian president in 20 years

Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis visits the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on March 18-21 at the invitation of the UAE president, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan. According to the Presidential Administration, it is the first visit of a Romanian head of state to this country in the last 20 years.

The Romanian leader will have meetings with the president of UAE, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, and with the vice president and prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

“In this evolving global, European and regional context, the official visit of the Romanian president to the United Arab Emirates is part of the very good dynamic of the Romanian-Emirati bilateral dialogue at all levels, from the last period, and reflects the solidity and complexity of the bilateral relationship,” reads the Romanian Presidency’s statement.

The UAE is one of Romania’s most important partners in the region, being the country’s first commercial partner in the Gulf area. In this context, Romania pursues the development of an in-depth partnership in all areas of common interest, the same source said.

The Romanian leader’s visit to UAE is aimed at deepening the political-diplomatic dialogue on topics of maximum interest for both sides, boosting economic relations between the two states, and attracting investments in Romania through projects in infrastructure, energy, combating climate change, cyber security and food security.

The developments in the Middle East, especially those directly impacting security in the area close to the EU and NATO, and the war in Ukraine are two other topics of discussion on the official agenda.

“During the visit, several bilateral documents will be signed by relevant Romanian ministers and officials in the field of energy, cyber security and education,” reads the same statement.

President Klaus Iohannis will also visit Masdar City, a project that aims to generate modern solutions regarding energy security, climate change and sustainable development.

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