S Jaishankar will visit UAE for 3 days

Foreign Minister S Jaishankar will start a three-day visit to the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday to review the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

Jaishankar to speak with counterparts of Gulf State Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan during the 14th India-UAE Joint Committee Meeting (JCM) and the 3rd India-UAE Strategic Dialogue review.

“These meetings will provide an opportunity for the two ministers to review the comprehensive strategic partnership between India and the UAE and the entire scope of regional and global development,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MEA) said on Monday announcing Jaishankar’s visit. He will also meet other UAE dignitaries during his visit from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2, it said.

High-level interactions between India and the UAE have been frequent exchanges this year. On June 28, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Abu Dhabi and met with President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Earlier, the two leaders also held a virtual summit on February 18 during which the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) was signed and a vision statement was adopted. The two leaders also attended the I2U2 summit on July 14. U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Yar Lapid also attended the summit.

The new grouping is called “I2U2”, with the “I” for India and Israel and the “U” for the United States and the United Arab Emirates. “Both India and the UAE are committed to advancing partnerships in multiple areas including trade, investment, traditional and renewable energy, food security, health, skills development, education, culture, defence, space, consular issues and people-to-people exchanges. – People relationship,” MEA said in a statement.

These areas were also discussed at the official level during the JCM subcommittee meeting on August 23-24, it said.

The CEPA, signed by India and the UAE in February, is expected to boost Indian exporters’ access to Arab and African markets and increase two-way trade to $100 billion over the next five years from the current $60 billion.

After Modi’s visit to the UAE in 2015, there was a major upturn in relations between the two countries, marking the beginning of a new phase of cooperation.