Sheikh Abdullah, S Jaishankar Hold Talks On Long-Standing UAE-India Ties

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, held a meeting with his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, to discuss further consolidation of the long-standing relations between the two countries.

The meeting came as Sheikh Abdullah welcomed Jaishankar over a working dinner in Abu Dhabi on Monday.

During the meeting, the two leaders tackled the comprehensive partnerships between the UAE and India and ways to enhance existing cooperation across all fronts, including health, digitalization, economy, trade, and technology.

"Our continuing conversations on regional and global issues contribute to the strengthening and comfort of the relationship," Jaishankar wrote in a tweet.

The discussions came in light of the historic signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two nations on Feb. 18. The agreement, which came into effect on May 1, resulted in India's petroleum exports to UAE skyrocketing to 14 percent.

Sheikh Abdullah and Jaishankar also discussed issues of regional and international interest, including the vision of India during its year-long G20 presidency and the role of UAE as a guest country in the group. In line with the talks, Sheikh Abdullah reiterated the UAE's unwavering support for India's leadership. He also commended New Delhi's vision to achieve progress in several key areas such as health, agriculture, climate change, education, and promoting women empowerment.

The two Foreign Affairs ministers also reviewed the participation of India and the UAE's private sector in the area of sustainable development. During the discussions, Sheikh Abdullah highlighted the importance of strengthening international alliances to boost economic growth. He also underscored the UAE's keenness on enhancing the participation of the private sector in backing national developmental goal agendas.

In addition to talks on G20, the diplomats also discussed ways to develop cooperation with multilateral groups and organizations, including the I2U2 Group, BRICS, and Shanghai Cooperation Organization. In this regard, Sheikh Abdullah said the relations between the UAE and India would continue with the common goal of driving sustainable growth across various sectors. He further wished India success for its presidency of the G20.

"The UAE-Indian relations are steadily heading towards broader horizons of fruitful cooperation, with the objective of creating promising opportunities for development and economic prosperity in the two countries," Sheikh Abdullah said.