Zelenskyy announces upcoming signing of 10-year cooperation agreement with UAE

Ukraine has signed 10-year cooperation agreements with Saudi Arabia and Qatar, and a similar agreement with the United Arab Emirates is expected to be signed in the coming days, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

"We are talking about 10-year cooperation. We have already signed the relevant agreement with Saudi Arabia, we have just signed a corresponding 10-year agreement with Qatar. We will also sign with the Emirates for 10 years – this will happen within a few days," Zelenskyy said during a video call with journalists on Saturday.

The president noted that both sides are currently working on the legal components of the agreements.

Speaking about areas of cooperation with Middle Eastern countries, he added that they include weapons, weapons production, the exchange of scarce resources, as well as energy cooperation.

"Our reserves were essentially empty – we have kept them empty because of the strikes at the beginning of the war. In fact, all our companies, the private sector, or Ukrnafta have long-term contracts. That means our reserves exist within contracts, but when challenges arise and shortages occur, this can become an issue… That is why long-term agreements with energy-producing countries are needed," the head of state explained.

According to him, over the 10-year period of these agreements, Ukraine and Middle Eastern countries will engage in co-production and build manufacturing lines.