Vucic after meeting with sheikh Bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi: We also discussed NIS, I already know who the partner will be

"We discussed various topics - from our financial engagements and energy cooperation to further development of renewable energy systems and their investments, with the goal of reaching around 3.5 gigawatts of installed capacity by 2032 at the latest, as well as all other major projects. We also discussed the direct opening of the Belgrade-Abu Dhabi air route. We talked about NIS as well. I listened to and understood the advice of the President of the Emirates. Excellent talks", Vucic said.

He noted that he already knows the answer to the question of who is the more likely partner for NIS, but that he cannot speak about it until OFAC receives the term sheets (binding key elements of a future agreement).

"I already know, but I cannot answer questions about NIS before the UAE sends to OFAC what has been agreed upon. Listen carefully to what I have said, and you will easily reach the conclusion", he emphasized.

Ahead of the meeting, Vucic pointed out that the UAE is one of Serbia’s most important investors and assessed that the meeting was of enormous importance for Serbia.

He announced that he would discuss NIS, bilateral cooperation, military-technical cooperation, and geopolitical issues with the Sheikh.

Foto: Tanjug/STR

Vucic recalled that Serbia and the UAE have official military-technical cooperation and that Serbia purchases some of its drones from the UAE.

"We will discuss how to technologically advance our cooperation. We have official military-technical cooperation. Do not forget that we source some of our drones from here. We will talk about technology transfers for various systems, from laser-guided missiles to everything else. This has existed for years. Do not forget that they are investors in our country - in agriculture, the energy sector, and the Belgrade Waterfront project. These are all things that make Serbia a fundamentally strong and important country", Vucic said.

He also stated that the President of the UAE is one of the most important world leaders, from whom, he said, he has learned a great deal about how a state is governed.

"This is a conversation with one of the most important world leaders and a sincere friend of Serbia. Each time, I have learned a great deal from him about how he governs his country, just as his father did. Unlike others, I despise the response, ‘These are our resources,’ because there are Arab countries that have five times more oil and higher-quality oil than the Emirates, yet are twenty times poorer. In the end, everything depends on leadership; everything depends on leaders", Vucic said.

Vucic Attends Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week

The President of Serbia paid an official visit to the United Arab Emirates in June last year, when he met with Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. In September, the Sheikh paid a return visit to Belgrade.

Following the meetings with the Sheikh, Vucic will participate later today in a panel titled Partnership and Cooperation in the Energy Sector as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2026.

On the first day of his visit to Abu Dhabi, Vucic attended the official opening ceremony of Sustainability Week, hosted by the President of the United Arab Emirates.

He also met with the UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, noting that they discussed strengthening the Serbia-UAE partnership, particularly in the field of energy and investments that could accelerate Serbia’s energy transition and infrastructure modernization.

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