United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ukraine have signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

This occurred during Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the country, the first since Russia’s invasion began.

Zelenskyy arrived in Abu Dhabi late Sunday after attending the Munich Security Conference in Germany.

In the presence of Zelenskyy and the UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, Yuliia Svyrydenko, and the Minister of State for Foreign Trade of the UAE, Thani Bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the UAE.

The document significantly liberalizes access to the market of the United Arab Emirates for almost all Ukrainian goods.

In addition, it covers services, investment and digital trade.

This is the first time that Ukraine has concluded such an agreement with a Gulf state.

In a post on X, UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan hailed a “new era of trade and investment collaboration” amid Zelenskyy’s trip to the Gulf region.

Al Nahyan added in the post that the UAE remains steadfast in its commitment to build partnerships based on cooperation and understanding to “promote peace, stability, and prosperity for all.”

During his official visit to the United Arab Emirates, Zelenskyy held extended and one-on-one talks with President of the UAE Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi.

The Ukrainian leader thanked the United Arab Emirates for facilitating the release of Ukrainian military personnel from Russian captivity.

The country has already mediated 12 exchanges. Ukraine expects to bring home even more Ukrainians in cooperation with the UAE. This was one of the key topics of the talks.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy informed his counterpart about the battlefield situation and the involvement of North Korean soldiers in the war against Ukraine.

He stressed that Russia’s alliance with North Korea and Iran poses direct threats to the entire world, including the United Arab Emirates, and called for increased sanctions against the Russian Federation.

The President spoke of Ukraine’s efforts to end the war and achieve a just and lasting peace.

The Ukrainian leader also asserted that despite the Russian aggression, his country remains one of the world’s guarantors of food security.

The humanitarian initiative “Grain from Ukraine” has helped save millions of lives during its implementation: Ukraine has delivered more than 286 thousand tons of agricultural products to 15 countries in need.

Zelenskyy presented the new “Food from Ukraine” program aimed at helping the Syrian people and invited the UAE to support it. The parties additionally discussed possible projects for creating a food hub in Egypt and prospects for implementing agricultural programs in Ukraine.

The parties also discussed the development of bilateral cooperation, particularly in the fields of innovation, economy and trade.

Zelenskyy spoke about the key areas of partnership that would be beneficial for both countries.

Before the full-scale Russian invasion, the trade turnover between Ukraine and the UAE amounted to USD 1.15 billion. Due to Russia’s aggression, it decreased, but it is growing again every year.

Trade Deal Hailed

In a Facebook post, Ukraine’s Economy Minister, Yuliia Svyrydenko called the deal with the UAE a “truly a historic event” as it was the country’s first with a Gulf Arab state.

Officials also agreed to create a Ukraine-UAE Investment Council.

“I am confident that this agreement will provide a strong boost to our economies, strengthen cooperation in key sectors, and lay the foundation for long-term, stable engagement between our countries.”
Yuliia Svyrydenko

Zelenskyy’s visit to Abu Dhabi came as it hosts its biennial International Defense Exhibition and Conference arms show this week, where both Ukraine and Russia have displayed arms — even as Moscow faces Western sanctions over the war.

While Ukraine was not selling any of the weapons, its presence at the fair was deemed crucial.