His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and visiting Azeri President Ilham Aliyev held official discussions dealing with regional and international issues of mutual concern.

Shaikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Crown Prince of Dubai and Shaikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Deputy Ruler of Dubai attended the meeting.

They also discussed other issues related to peace stability and economic development especially in the region Asia and the Middle East.

The talks held on Tuesday at Zabeel Palace focused on ways to further enhance cooperation between the two friendly countries to include wider domains in the investment partnership trade tourist and cultural exchange as well as an increase in the number of flights between UAE airports and Baku to contribute positively in developing mutual tourism and bridge the distance between the two nations especially in terms of mutual visits between businesspersons and investors of both sides.

Shaikh Mohammed and Aliyev hailed the existing strong relations between the two countries in various domains as well as enhancing friendship bonds between the two countries in light of the historic visit of Shaikh Mohammed while leading a high-profile delegation to Baku last year as well as the current visit of the Azeri president to the UAE.

Shaikh Mohammed and Aliyev attended the signing ceremony of an agreement on institutional co-operation in the field of maritime transport and a memorandum of understanding on information and communication technology between the two countries.

Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs and Azerbaijan's Minister of Economic Development Shahin Mustafayev signed the agreement and the MoU.

Shaikh Mohammed and Aliyev approved the agreement and the MoU wishing that they would contribute to enhancing communication bridges and the desired objectives of the two countries and peoples in order to reach higher levels of economic technical trade and tourist cooperation in the best interests of the two countries.

Among those who attended the ceremony were Shaikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority Chairman of Emirates airline and Chief Executive of the Emirates Group; Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri UAE Minister of Economy; Reem Al Hashemi UAE Minister of State; Abdullah bin Mohammed Ghobash UAE Minister of State and Head of the Honour Mission; Mohammed Ibrahim Al Shaibani Director-General of His Highness the Ruler's Court Government of Dubai; Khalifa Saeed Suleiman Director-General of the Department of Protocol and Hospitality in Dubai; and Dr Mohammed Ahmed Hamel Al Qubaisi UAE Ambassador to the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the UAE Dashgin Shikarov and General Consul of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Dubai Ismail Zada also attended from the Azeri side.