A delegation from the UAE, led by Abdulnasser Al Shaali, Assistant Minister for Economic and Trade Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, has visited the Republic of Estonia to explore bilateral trade, investment, and economic opportunities.
The delegation included representatives from the Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Ministry of Education, Chambers of Commerce and Industry, UAE Space Agency, the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), and the Fujairah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
During the three-day visit, Al Shaali underlined the UAE’s aspiration to further build upon its positive relations with Estonia.
"Estonia is an important and rapidly emerging trading partner for the UAE in Europe. We are confident this visit has provided a constructive platform for the further development of our ties with the Estonian public and private sectors. It is clear that significant complementarities exist between the UAE and Estonia across several cutting-edge sectors, which we should seek to leverage to the mutual benefit of both our countries," he noted.
The UAE delegation convened meetings with several Estonian government officials, including Andres Rundu, Under-Secretary of the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Jaan Reinhold, Estonian Ambassador to the UAE; Margus Rava, Head of Business Diplomacy at the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ando Leppiman, Secretary-General at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications; and Daniel Erik Schaer, Commissioner-General of the Estonia Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai.
Meetings touched upon the desire of both sides to increase engagement across all areas of the UAE-Estonia trade and economic relations, with a focus on cutting-edge sectors such as artificial intelligence, space, information technologies, as well as sustainable agricultural development.
The two sides also agreed to investigate the establishment of a UAE-Estonia Business Council.
The UAE delegation also participated in the UAE-Estonia Business Seminar and engaged in dialogue with leading Estonian private sector companies, where the substantial investment opportunities that exist in both the UAE and Estonia were highlighted.
The delegation, upon the invitation of the former President of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, also participated in the ninth Estonian Friends International Meeting.
