India, UAE discuss expansion of strategic partnership

The discussions were part of two meetings between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, Updated At : 03:30 AM Dec 14, 2024 IST

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar with UAE's Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan during the 15th session of India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting in New Delhi on Friday. PTI

India and the UAE held extensive discussions to expand their strategic partnership across key areas, including defence, emerging technologies, nuclear energy, polar research, critical minerals and renewable energy.

The discussions were part of two meetings between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan — the fourth Strategic Dialogue held last night and the 15th India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) today.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) highlighted that the leaders also discussed the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC), aimed at enhancing maritime connectivity and trade between India, the UAE and Europe.

Jaishankar posted on X, stating, “Discussions covered various facets of our comprehensive strategic partnership, including economic and commercial relations.”

The two countries cooperate in the energy sector and are exploring long-term supply agreements, collaboration in upstream and downstream projects and mutual investments in strategic reserves. The MEA added that “the ministers welcomed the expansion of cooperation in new areas such as nuclear energy, critical minerals and green hydrogen”.

A key milestone of the JCM was the signing of an MoU between the UAE’s Emirates Polar Mission Steering Committee and India’s National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR). This agreement paves the way for cooperation in polar operations, research and capacity building.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and UAE’s Minister for Economy Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri also participated in the JCM. The robust trade relationship between the two nations, bolstered by the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), now includes innovative mechanisms like the Virtual Trade Corridor (VTC) and the MAITRI interface, designed to streamline trade processes with paperless transactions.

Additionally, the first-ever India-UAE Defence Partnership Forum, involving defence industries of both countries, convened this year. Both ministers also reviewed progress on educational collaborations, including the IIT-Delhi Abu Dhabi campus and plans to establish overseas campuses of IIM Ahmedabad and the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade in Dubai.