Thani Al Zeyoudi meets Belarus PM during official visit to Minsk

Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade, has concluded a visit to Belarus, where he held bilateral meetings with senior officials, including Prime Minister Alexander Turchin, Minister of Foreign Affairs Maxim Ryzhenkov, and Minister of Economy Yuri Chebotar.

The visit underscores the UAE's commitment to further expanding economic collaboration and investment with Belarus following last year's signing of the Trade in Services and Investment Agreement (TISIA).

Al Zeyoudi was joined on the visit by a delegation from the UAE, including Ibrahim Salim Mohamed Al Musharrakh, UAE Ambassador to Belarus.

During his visit, Al Zeyoudi led a high-level UAE business delegation to the UAE-Belarus Trade Day, an event that was co-hosted by Mikalai Barysevich, Director-General of the National Export Promotion Centre of Belarus. The Trade Day featured representatives from some of the largest private sector companies of both countries, reflecting the strong interest in fostering increased collaboration and investment.

Upon conclusion of the Trade Day, Al Zeyoudi stated, “The relationship between the UAE and Belarus continues to grow. Our recent Trade in Services and Investment Agreement (TISIA) has opened new avenues for private sector collaboration, increasing the potential for further expanding our non-oil trade, which has witnessed remarkable growth in recent years. Key sectors such as technology, education, and healthcare stand to benefit significantly from our growing partnership.”

In 2025, non-oil trade between the UAE and Belarus reached US$319.5 million, a decline of 45.4 per cent year-on-year, but still representing a 286.6 per cent rise compared to 2021, when trade between the two countries was only US$82.6 million. The exceptional growth in trade demonstrates the depth of the strategic partnership the UAE has established with Belarus, becoming one of the the country’s key trading partners in the GCC.

As part of his visit, Al Zeyoudi also toured a new hospital complex and tourist resort, prior to visiting the Stadler Factory, which specializes in manufacturing railway rolling stock, and the Minsk Dairy Plant No. 1 which produces over 300 different dairy products, including 900 tons of milk daily.

Al Zeyoudi also attended the inauguration of the Belagro Exhibition, Belarus' largest and most prominent international agricultural and industrial trade fair with over 600 companies from 12 countries participating.

The UAE-Belarus TISIA, signed in 2025, marked a new era of private-sector cooperation, expanding market access for UAE businesses in sectors such as financial and business services, consulting, education, and healthcare, in addition to creating opportunities for foreign direct investment and new joint ventures. The agreement demonstrates the shared vision of both countries for economic prosperity through mutually beneficial trade and investment.