Russia, UAE to cooperate in defence; Moscow will launch UAE satellite

Russian president Vladimir Putin paid his first visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 10 September. During the visit, the two sides signed a number of intergovernmental agreements.

The Russian Federal Space Agency and the Emirates Institution for Advanced Science & Technology have signed a memorandum of understanding on joint use of space for peaceful purposes.

Next year Russia will launch a UAE remote sensing satellite from the Baikonur space centre.

Military-technical cooperation accounts for the biggest part in bilateral ties. In a decade, $1 billion worth of agreements have been signed. The two sides concluded more than $50 million worth of contracts at the International Defence Exhibition in Abu Dhabi this February.

The two countries are to establish a centre for scientific, technical and innovations cooperation between Russia and the Gulf nations. Based in the UAE, the centre will concentrate on the transfer of Russian advanced environmental technologies for the Gulf countries.

An ExpoCentre will be built in the UAE to display modern Russian technologies, where Russian and Arab experts will conduct joint research. For the time being, the centre exists only as a model; it looks like a flying saucer on three legs.

Military-technical and high-tech projects may expedite implementation of the Moscow-proposed joint system of regional collective security with the Gulf nations. Under this proposal, Russia would sign with each country of the region, agreements on reliable security guarantees, including confidence-building measures and control over military activities.

Behind the UAE''s recent warmth towards Russia may be the rebuffs it is getting from Western nations, owing mainly to the fact that it is an Arab country. Last year, a Dubai port management company had to abandon a bid it won to manage several US ports, after an outcry over ''security''.

More recently, Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) had to pull out of a bid for Auckland airport in New Zealand after concerns were cited - even by the country''s prime minister - about ''foreign'' ownership of the airport. What is interesting to note is that after DAE''s withdrawal, a Canadian company has bid for the airport, with no opposition.

Is Canada any less ''foreign'' than the UAE; or is it merely less Arab…?