New Delhi / Abu Dhabi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is on a three day visit to UAE, co-chaired along with his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdulla bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on September 1, a “very productive” meeting of the 14th joint commission between the two nations and assessed the “significant progress” made in multiple domains of cooperation.
During the meeting, both ministers expressed their deep satisfaction at the continued high growth trajectory of bilateral relations between India and UAE, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. India and the UAE have reiterated their commitment to achieving the ambitious goal of USD 100 billion of bilateral trade in the next five years.
External Affairs Minister Jaishankar after the meeting tweeted, “A very productive meeting of the 14th India-UAE Joint Commission. Thank HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan for co-chairing it. Assessed the significant progress made in multiple domains of cooperation. The Joint Vision of our leadership is being implemented expeditiously.”
The two leaders noted the regular high-level political interactions and cooperation between the two countries in various multilateral forums and international organisations, in particular in the UN Security Council in 2022. Both ministers expressed happiness at the entry into force of the landmark Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) on May 1, 2022 and organisation of various activities and events for the effective implementation of the pact.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan since their Virtual Summit on February 18, 2022 have met on June 28, 2022 in Abu Dhabi, and have participated in the virtual I2U2 (India, Israel, the UAE and the US) summit in July 2022.
The ministers reiterated their commitment to achieving the goal of USD 100 billion of bilateral trade in the next five years and positively assessed the investment partnership between both countries and the growth of UAE investments in India in diverse sectors. The progress in various elements of bilateral cooperation identified in the Vision Statement adopted by the two leaders (Modi and Sheikh Mohamed) on February 18, 2022 was also reviewed.
The next meeting of the High-Level Task Force between the two countries is expected to be held shortly in India.
Both ministers noted the commitment on either side to further strengthen their long-term energy partnership, including two-way investments. They also noted the progress in discussions on various aspects related to renewable energy and green hydrogen. They reviewed the ongoing discussions between the two sides in the area of food security, including in the I2U2 framework.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs statement, the ministers expressed happiness at the forward movement in healthcare and education cooperation. A team consisting of both government and private sector representatives from India and UAE visited Kenya and Tanzania recently to identify opportunities for joint projects in the health sector, it said.
Emphasising the importance of promoting start-ups and entrepreneurship in different fields such as fintech, edutech, healthtech, agritech, logistics and supply chains, both ministers acknowledged that the discussions between both sides on the establishment of an IIT in UAE have also moved forward with the establishment of a Joint Working Group between institutions on both sides.
The UAE Foreign Minister appreciated the contribution of the Indian community to the country’s progress and development while Jaishankar thanked him and the entire UAE leadership for taking care of the Indian community.
Both ministers noted the possibility of linking instant payment platforms in either country, such as through the United Payment Interface (UPI) of India. Both sides agreed to hold the meetings of various institutional dialogues on consular issues, skills and manpower in the coming months.
In the presence of the ministers, two MOUs were signed between the two sides. These include an MOU between the Wildlife Institute of India and the International Fund for Houbara Conservation for the Conservation of the Great Indian Bustard and the Lesser Florican and an MOU between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the UAE and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) on the establishment of the India-UAE Cultural Council Forum.
The two Ministers were joined by Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi – UAE MoS for Foreign Trade, Vinay Kwatra – Foreign Secretary of India and ambassadors and senior officials from both sides.
