I. INTRODUCTION

The United Arab Emirates is one of the most important countries in the Middle East due to its geographical location, level of economic development, investment potential and active foreign policy. Accordingly, the UAE is considered one of the most promising partners for development of bilateral relations and joint projects implementation. The foreign policy of the Emirates has been characterized by very high mobility and flexibility, reacting quickly to changes in the regional and global situations. For effective cooperation it is necessary to understand stages of evolution and the current state of the UAE's foreign policy strategy. This understanding allows to adopt a more substantive and focused approach to building bilateral relations with the Emirates, a regional leader that emerged after 2011.

The purpose of the article is to identify the main stages of development and the main components of the UAE's current foreign policy strategy, as well as to confirm the impact of the Emirati foreign policy strategy developed over the past decade on the main directions of bilateral relations between Ukraine and the UAE.

Researchers actively study the UAE's foreign policy, considering numerous initiatives and movements of Emirati diplomacy. However, this study attempts to examine the development of bilateral relations through the prism of the Emirates' foreign policy strategy to understand better reasons for change and the basis for further development of bilateral cooperation. This general framework reflects changes in the country's foreign policy priorities and the United Arab Emirates' assessment of the regional and global environment. Considering the UAE's foreign policy actions in the context of the strategy provides a more comprehensive understanding of their causes and motives.

To obtain scientific results, the article uses general and special political research methods, namely analysis, comparison and synthesis.

The article analyzes and compares statements of the top leadership of the state, provisions of the UAE's Constitution, the strategy of the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, publications of Emirates Policy Center "The UAE Power-Building Model and Foreign Policy Shifts", the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research, German Institute for International and Security Affairs "Regional Power United Arab Emirates", Emirati media. Based on the analysis three main stages in the development of the UAE's foreign policy strategy were identified - 1971-1990; 1990-2011 and from 2011 to the present.

The development of political dialogue and trade and economic cooperation between Ukraine and the UAE after 2011 is considered separately. For this purpose, statements, comments and publications of Ukrainian authorities (Office of the President of Ukraine, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Ministry of Strategic Industries of Ukraine, Embassy of Ukraine in the UAE), Emirati officials and companies (EDGE Group, DP World) are analyzed.

II. UAE FOREIGN POLICY STRATEGY

As our article aims to use the context of the UAE's foreign policy strategy, we will first outline its main directions and three main stages of development.

The founder and the first President of the UAE Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan at the opening ceremony of the first session of the first convocation of the UAE Federal National Council on February 13, 1972, said that the UAE's foreign policy "aimedat victory of Islamic and Arab interests and problems, strengthening friendships and cooperation with all countries and peoples based on principles of UN Charter and the best international norms" (118-117:2018 زايد المؤسس). These words entirely formed Article 12 of the UAE's Constitution (Constitution, 2013), which enshrined the main goals of foreign policy. The article itself is still the only constitutional norm that directly regulates the foreign policy sphere and its directions.

During the third session of the first convocation of the Federal National Council on November 20, 1973, Sheikh Zayed defined the strategic framework of the young country's foreign policy. This first foreign policy strategy contained five main elements: defining the UAE people as part of the Arab "ummah"; recognition of natural and historical unity with other Arab countries of the Gulf, which requires the development of the closest relations with them; assistance in resolving the just problems of the Arab "ummah" and, above all, the Palestinian problem; maintaining fraternal relations with the Islamic world in Asia and Africa; recognition of the importance of developing relations with other countries of the world based on common interests (زاید المؤسس 118-117:2018). The identified strategic directions clearly outline the main priority of foreign policy – the Arab and Islamic worlds. Development of relations with other countries was seen as a secondary direction, which was absolutely true for a young nation that had just emerged on the world map and considered Arab/Islamic unity an element of its security.

The situation changed after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Exactly after August 2, 1990, it became clear that the Gulf Cooperation Council could not sufficiently ensure the security of its member states. This event also clearly demonstrated to the Emirati leadership the collapse of pan-Arab action and the start of a new chapter of international relations and building of new alliances (Al-Ketbi, 2021: 38). On the second stage of its development the UAE's foreign policy searching a response to threats entered a new phase of development of allied relations with key Western countries. First of all, we are talking about the United States of America. The UAE and the United States signed a bilateral Defense Cooperation Agreement on July 25, 1994. Subsequently, this document was updated and a new one entered into force on May 30, 2019, with a 15-year duration (Katzman, 2021: 15).

The new strategic direction allowed to get strong security guarantees, state-of-the-art Western armaments and a permanent allied military presence. The high level of relations and trust is evidenced by the fact that on April 2019 the United States deployed F-35A Lightning II fighters at Al Dhafra Air Base near Abu Dhabi. This is the first such deployment of these aircraft on the Middle East (The National, 2019).

Events of the "Arab Spring" can be considered as a starting point of the third stage in the development of the UAE's foreign policy strategy. Since 2011 the UAE Foreign Ministry has been developing and publishing its three-year foreign policy strategies. Given the threats to stability and security posed by the "Arab Spring", the regional dimension should be unalterable for the UAE. Undoubtedly, the Arab and broader Islamic worlds remain and will remain a big priority for the UAE's foreign policy in the future, given geographical and cultural factors. However, despite the solid regional challenges, it was at this stage that the global dimension of the Emirates' foreign policy became apparent. During the "Arab Spring" the UAE became a strong regional leader and began to project its foreign policy onto the global agenda.

As we noted, the Arab world naturally continues to be the central platform for UAE's foreign policy, but at present, the Arab component of diplomacy remains enshrined only in the Constitution and is not reflected in the strategies of the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and strategic plans of the country's top leadership. If in the previous stages the UAE positioned itself as a part of the Arab world, now it is working hard to create the image of a prosperous modern state, such an exemplary state model, where dozens of different nations live peacefully and work effectively thanks to the most tolerant environment. This position of a responsible member of the international community allows the Emirates to go beyond the Arab "ummah" and to have greater foreign policy freedom, which opens up qualitatively new opportunities. In particular, this positioning and focus on economic/technological aspects of cooperation have prepared the ground for Abraham Accords to become a new reality of the Middle East. Commenting on the first-ever visit of Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog to the UAE, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President Anwar Gargash said that "the main focus of our bilateral relations with countries around the world was based on our assessment of economic, technological and scientific priorities for the Emirates (Twitter, 2022).

The strategy of the UAE Foreign Ministry for the period 2017-2021 for the first time defines "Active Global Responsibility" among the strategic objectives. By implementing this strategy, the UAE wants to create a tangible positive impact on the global development agenda working with regional and international partners to pursue mutual interests (Strategy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs 2017-2021, 2017).

Presenting the strategy, UAE State Foreign Minister Anwar Gargash (currently Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President) explained that Emirati diplomacy was seeking to maintain world leadership in development projects that help to overcome hunger and poverty, as well as expand women empowerment in developing societies (2017). It should be noted that the UAE Government established the Office for the Coordination of Foreign Aid in 2008, transforming it into the Ministry of International Cooperation and Development in 2013. And in 2016, this Ministry merged into the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs (now the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation). Then the implementation of development projects abroad and humanitarian aid became the official tool of the UAE foreign policy.

The ten basic principles of the UAE's development (2021) announced by the top leadership of the country for the next 50 years allow us to predict that the Emirates will continue the regional leader's foreign policy strategy with strong global ambitions formed over the past ten years. In particular, this is directly stated in the second principle (complete focus on building the best and most dynamic economy in the world) and the sixth principle (strengthening the global image of the Emirates is a national task for all government bodies). The country's foreign policy has been proclaimed an instrument in the service of the highest national interests. This is radically different from the "victory of Arab and Islamic interests and problems," as stated in the Constitution.

Emirati policy has moved away from ideology, militarization, stagnation and intransigence. The UAE's adoption of a competitive and free economic model has necessitated the establishment and expansion of interest-based international relations (Al-Ketbi, 2021:108). And this is what created favorable conditions for the further development of bilateral relations of the UAE with the countries of Eastern Europe, particularly with Ukraine.

III. UKRAINE-UAE RELATIONS

Political dialogue. Given the peculiarities of the UAE's state system and the exceptional importance of direct dialogue with the Emirati leadership for the development of bilateral relations intensifying political dialogue at the highest level deserves the most significant attention. First of all, we are talking about the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Despite his position, he is the de facto leader and ruler of the country. Mohammed bin Zayed is the undisputed leader in the emirate of Abu Dhabi and the UAE (Steinberg, 2020: 7). For arranging effective visits to the country, the main emphasis must be placed on negotiations and agreements with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

According to Guido Steinberg, the Emirates are more important today because they influence the political situation in many more countries and more conflicts than before 2011. First of all, it's about the role of the UAE in the development of situations in the GCC countries, Yemen, Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt and Libya. The UAE's position concerning Iran, as well as Abu Dhabi's influence on the Trump administration, must also be taken into account (Steinberg, 2020: 34).

Dozens of visits and bilateral events have been organized for almost 30 years since establishing diplomatic relations between Ukraine and the UAE (October 15, 1992). However, the vast majority of them and the most important events took place during the last decade or during the third stage of development of the UAE foreign policy strategy.

Contacts at the highest level were quite intensive, however, the Ukrainian side had the initiative here. Since 1992 there have been six visits of the President of Ukraine to the UAE: in 2003, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2021.

To demonstrate Ukraine's commitment to further development of comprehensive cooperation with the UAE, as well as improving consular services for Ukrainians and foreigners, on April 5, 2012, the Ukrainian diplomatic presence in the Emirates was expanded through the opening of the Consulate of Ukraine in Dubai (The Consulate of Ukraine in Dubai, 2012).

According to the criterion of the importance of the achieved results, it is worth to highlight the working visit of the President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko to the UAE on November 1-2, 2017. During this visit, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Government of the United Arab Emirates on mutual abolition of visa requirements (Verchovna Rada Ukrainy, 2017). The signing of this document paved the way for visa-free travel for citizens of two countries. This new page in relations has dramatically simplified and intensified business and tourism activities.

The official visit of the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the UAE on February 13-15, 2021, became even more critical for the intensification of cooperation. During the visit he held talks with the

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and with Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. More than ten bilateral agreements and memoranda were signed (Official website of the President of Ukraine, 2021). The following documents should be highlighted: Agreement on cooperation in combating crime and terrorism, Memorandum of Understanding on mutual recognition and exchange of national driver's licenses, Memorandum of Understanding on food Security and Cooperation Agreement between State Concern "Ukroboronprom", State Company "Ukrspecexport" and "EDGE Group" holding on the expansion of military-technical cooperation and implementation of joint projects. Another important achievement was the formation of the Ukrainian-Emirati Coordination Council, which follows up and monitors the implementation of agreements in all areas.

On the Emirati side, the last decade has also seen a significant intensification of dynamics. Until 2011 the only notable event was the visit of the Head of the Office of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Managing Director of Abu Dhabi Investment Administration (ADIA) Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in 2010. During the visit the Emirati official was received by the President of Ukraine. Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan met with the Prime Minister of Ukraine, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the Minister for Fuel and Energy of Ukraine (Embassy of Ukraine in the United Arab Emirates, 2021).

Till 2010 the political dialogue was actually one-sided. After 2011Emirati officials have begun to visit Kyiv regularly. This is the best indicator of the changes in relations with Ukraine that have taken place in the third stage of the UAE's foreign policy strategy.

UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan paid an official visit to Ukraine on May 18-19, 2011, for the first time in the history of bilateral relations. During his talks with the President of Ukraine, the two noted the need to build partnership relations between countries, as well as high-level Ukrainian-Emirati political contacts. The statement of the Emirati minister about the intention to open the UAE Embassy in Kyiv in the near future was significant (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, 2011). The Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Ukraine opened its doors in September 2013 (MOFAIC of the UAE, 2013), namely 21 years after the establishment of diplomatic relations.

To maintain a high level of political dialogue between two countries the Emirati side held telephone conversations during 2013-2014, as well as meetings of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of two countries within the UN General Assembly in New York.

Another important event was the visit of the UAE State Minister of Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash to Ukraine on August 16-17, 2018. The Emirati official pointed out the significant development of economic relations between the UAE and Ukraine, emphasizing that the growth of trade exchanges was mainly driven by the increase in Ukrainian imports of minerals and agricultural commodities into the UAE and the increase of re-exports from the UAE to Ukraine (WAM, 2018). He also outlined wide opportunities for cooperation in the field of technology, research, innovative industrial revolution technologies and called on Ukrainian business to look more actively at investment opportunities in the UAE.

Separate efforts have been made to develop inter-parliamentary dialogue. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine established a parliamentary group on interparliamentary relations with the UAE, which includes 107 People's Deputies of Ukraine. The number of members of the group shows itself the extremely high attention to the development of relations with the Emirates. In comparison, the Verkhovna Rada's interparliamentary relations group with Saudi Arabia has 22 deputies, 16 with Qatar, 7 with Kuwait, 6 with Bahrain, and there is no such group with Oman at all (Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, 2019).

The UAE Federal National Council of the 17th convocation also established its inter-parliamentary friendship group with Ukraine, consisting of 6 deputies headed by Sarah Muhammad Falaknaz. In March 2021, the first meeting of the deputy groups of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and the Federal National Council of the UAE (2021) took place. Due to quarantine restrictions, the talks were held online, but provided an opportunity to discuss the full range of interparliamentary cooperation and bilateral relations between two countries.

Trade and economic relations. The trade and economic directions have a special significance for the UAE. The economy is one of the defining criterion of the effectiveness and direction of development of the Emirates foreign policy. Such economic "maneuvers" of Emirati diplomacy sometimes lead to the misunderstanding of the UAE's foreign policy, but, according to the President of Emirates Policy Center Ebtesam Al-Ketbi, such a strategy allows the economy and politics to go hand in hand, making the UAE's international relations approach realistic (The National, 2021).

In the framework of strengthening the economic component of relations between Ukraine and the UAE, first of all, it is necessary to highlight the launch of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation. This mechanism provides an opportunity to properly coordinate and regularly review the entire agenda of trade and economic relations, as well as effectively address issues. The commission was launched based on provisions of the Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the UAE on economic, trade and technical cooperation, which entered into force in April 1995 (Ministry of Economy of Ukraine, 2020). But the first constituent meeting of the commission took place in Kyiv on May 17-19, 2011, under the chairmanship of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and the UAE. During commission's meeting the main directions of further cooperation, as well as mechanisms for intensifying trade and economic cooperation were discussed and identified. The second meeting of the commission was held on October 7-8, 2012, in Abu Dhabi, the third – on August 16-17, 2018, in Kyiv.

It should be noted that the commission was launched 16 years after the signing of the agreement during the third stage of the development of the UAE's foreign policy strategy.

In 2021 the Ukrainian-Emirati Coordination Council, established following the visit of the President of Ukraine to the UAE, worked actively on the intensification of economic relations. Its first meeting took place ten days after the mentioned visit of the President of Ukraine to the UAE. The main areas of cooperation are food security, investment, military-technical cooperation, cooperation in the field of lending, IT and cyber security. The head of the UAE part of the Ukrainian-Emirati Coordination Council, Minister of Climate Change and Environment Mariam Al-Mheiri, stressed that the goal is to increase the level of non-oil trade between the countries ten times, from 806 million to 8 billion US dollars (Official website of the President of Ukraine, 2021). The Ukrainian part of the council is headed by the head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Andriy Yermak, who emphasized the high priority of relations with the UAE for Ukraine.

In 2021 M.Al-Mheiri visited Ukraine three times to hold talks with the Ukrainian side and participate in international events. This intensity indicates the UAE's interest in deepening trade and economic relations and bringing them to a new level.

She visited the International specialized exhibition "Arms and Security 2021", which took place in

Kyiv on June 15-18, 2021, and held talks with Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine - Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine Oleg Uruskyi (Ministry of Strategic Industries of Ukraine, 2021). During the exhibition the Emirati delegation was acquainted with the latest Ukrainian military equipment and weapons. During the talks with O. Uruskyi the current state of military-technical cooperation and prospects for further cooperation in production and use of unmanned systems, missile construction, high-precision weapons, armored industry and other areas were discussed.

Within a few months M. Al-Mheiri took part in the International Defense Investment Forum, which took place on August 12, 2021, in Kyiv, and held another talks with O. Uruskyi (Ministry of Strategic Industries of Ukraine, 2021). Areas of mutual interest were discussed, in particular in the field of aviation and space.

In September 2021, the head of the Emirati part of the Ukrainian-Emirati Coordination Council visited Ukraine to intensify the agro-industrial relations. During the talks with the Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Roman Leshchenko the main aspects of attracting investments and implementing investment projects in the agricultural sector of Ukraine were discussed (Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, 2021).

According to the Embassy of Ukraine in the UAE (Embassy of Ukraine in the United Arab Emirates, 2021), the largest share of cooperation between Ukraine and the UAE in the economic sphere today is agro-industrial trade (over 50%) and metallurgical products (about 30%). Tables 1 and 2 show the quantitative indicators of trade in goods and services between Ukraine and the UAE in the period 2015-2020. As can be seen from statistics, there is a gradual increase in trade. For faster growth the range of products with high added value must be expanded.

In this context, significant hopes are placed on military-technical cooperation capable of expanding trade with modern high-tech products. During the visit of the President of Ukraine to the UAE in 2021 the State Concern "Ukroboronprom", the State Company "Ukrspecexport" and the Emirati holding "EDGE Group" signed a tri-party strategic cooperation agreement, which could lead to over 1 billion US dollars' worth of investments (EDGE Group, 2021). According to CEO and managing director of "EDGE Group" Faisal Al Bannai, the Emirati side is excited about the opportunities for the UAE and Ukraine from one another's military and technical capabilities.

Speaking of investments, Ukraine and the UAE have already gained successful experience in large-scale investment partnerships. In June 2020, one of the world's largest port operators, the Emirati company "DP World", completed the acquisition of a controlling stake (51%) in TIS container terminal in the port of "Pivdennyi" in Odesa region, Ukraine (DP World, 2020). According to Group chairman and CEO of "DP World" Sultan bin Sulayem, the acquisition of TIS container terminal opened the opportunity to work in a highly attractive Ukrainian market. For Ukraine it is also an excellent opportunity to join the global modern logistics network managed by "DP World" in 54 countries. In particular, in the Black Sea region the Emirates has formed a network of three terminals in Ukraine, Turkey and Romania, which allows to strengthen regional supply chains.

The factor of the Russian Federation. The armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine that started in 2014 significantly affected the agenda of bilateral relations between Ukraine and the UAE. However, the current stage of development of the UAE foreign policy strategy and the ability of Emirati diplomacy to adapt quickly allow to pass this difficult stage with minimal losses for Ukrainian-Emirati relations. The Emirates' focus on economics and development also facilitates under current conditions. The UAE avoids sharp political differences but takes into account rather than ignores the international community's position on Russian aggression and its consequences.

The UAE deliberately did not take part in the voting for UN General Assembly resolution No262 "Territorial integrity of Ukraine" adopted on March 27, 2014 (United Nations Digital Library, 2014), although it was the critical resolution for Ukraine. However, the Emirates clearly and unequivocally does not support Russia's aggression against Ukraine. Even the launch of a strategic partnership with Russia (Reuters, 2018) has not forced the UAE to recognize an attempt of annexation of Crimea or to support other consequences of Moscow's aggressive policy toward Ukraine.

The UAE's official position is to call for dialogue and negotiations. As noted by the UAE Permanent Representative to the UN Lana Nusseibeh on January 31, 2022, during a meeting of the UN Security Council on the situation along with the Russian Federation - Ukraine border, the conflict requires a serious dialogue through existing mechanisms, emphasizing the principles of sovereignty, territorial integrity and good-neighborliness as indispensable elements in maintaining international peace and security (United Nations, 2022).

The UAE has a territorial dispute with Iran over three islands in the Persian Gulf, which has been going on since the founding of the state in 1971 and has no clear prospects for a solution. Realizing from their own experience the complexity and possible duration of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the UAE considers it inappropriate to support one of the parties at this stage.

The position of the Emirates allows them to actively and fully develop relations with Ukraine. The UAE has absolutely apparent pragmatic interests in cooperation with Kyiv. Given the ten basic principles of the UAE development for the next 50 years, it can be stated that the continuation of cooperation with Ukraine is in the highest national interests of the Emirates and the country's foreign policy has developed an appropriate position for that.

IV. CONCLUSION

The UAE's foreign policy strategy has gone through three main stages. After 2011, in the current third stage, it is characterized by solid regional leadership with clearly defined ambitions to influence the global agenda. The Emirates has chosen to implement development programs in various countries worldwide as its main area of activity on the global level. This is quite logical, given such a developed instrument of Emirati foreign policy as humanitarian and foreign aid. It allows to avoid political moments and at the same time effectively influences the position of the recipient countries.

Another feature of the UAE's current foreign policy strategy is the high concentration on the trade and economic component and cooperation in the field of high technology. To implement the plan to build the best economy in the world, the Emirates' foreign policy is ready to show flexibility and resort to rapid maneuvers, which are explained by pure pragmatism and national interests. That is why the foreign policy has been officially proclaimed by the state leadership as an instrument in the service of the highest national interests.

An example of pragmatism and priority in developing trade and economic relations is the UAE's position on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. After 2014 the Emirates continued to develop bilateral relations with Ukraine actively. Concrete examples of infrastructure investments (DP World) and cooperation in the field of military-technical cooperation (Emirati holding EDGE Group) testify the sustainability and availability of long-term partnership plans.

The UAE has gone beyond the Arab "ummah" frame. The country actively creates the image of a new model of a successful modern state, where the Arab/Islamic component is the main but one of the other elements of society. Such positioning gives a broader field for the foreign policy of the state. And the most striking example of this is the conclusion of the Abraham Accords, which created a new reality in the Middle East.

There is an active development of bilateral relations between the UAE and other countries, including Ukraine. This suggests that the current strategy of the UAE's foreign policy serves the interests of Ukraine, which considers the UAE one of the most promising partners in the Middle East and is interested in deepening a comprehensive partnership with the country, especially on the background of the conflict with Russia, when Ukrainian goods need new markets. And the Emirates is ready to provide these markets announcing its intention to increase non-oil trade by ten times.

Since 2011 there has been a rapid development of high-level political dialogue between Ukraine and the UAE. There is a regular exchange of visits. The work of the mechanism of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation has been intensified. The Ukrainian-Emirati Coordination Council works in parallel. There is a gradual increase in trade turnover.

Given the importance of the economic component for the UAE, further research should focus on aspects of the trade, economic, investment, military and technical cooperation, on which the level and degree of interest of the Emirates in bilateral relations with the countries of the world largely depend.