President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev met with President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi and took part in a series of official events during his visit to the UAE.
Tthe meeting took place on December 17. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan thanked President Aliyev for attending the opening ceremony of the annual global sports tournament Games of the Future 2025, hosted in Abu Dhabi.
President Aliyev, in turn, expressed his gratitude for the invitation and congratulated the UAE leadership on the high level of organization of the international event.
During the talks, both sides highlighted the steady development of Azerbaijan–UAE relations, which are based on strategic partnership and continue to expand across political, economic, and energy sectors, including renewable energy, as well as cultural, humanitarian, and other areas of cooperation.
The presidents positively noted the reciprocal high-level visits between Azerbaijan and the UAE, emphasizing their important role in strengthening bilateral ties. They also exchanged views on future prospects for cooperation.
Following the meeting, Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan attended the opening ceremony of the Games of the Future 2025.
The Games of the Future is a global annual sports tournament held in two stages: the first focuses on traditional physical sports, while the second tests athletes’ skills in digital games. Organized under the slogan “People of the Next Generation. Play Your Future,” the tournament brings together athletes from different countries competing in a total of 11 disciplines. The UAE secured the right to host the 2025 edition after winning a competitive bid among nine candidate countries last year.
Later in the day, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan hosted an official luncheon in honor of President Ilham Aliyev.
