External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar yesterday held extensive talks with his counterpart from the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan covering a range of areas including ways to further boost strategic ties and the situation in the neighbourhood of both countries. The virtual talks were held as part of the 13th Session of the India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting on Trade, Economic and Technical Cooperation.
The Ministry of External Affairs said the Indian side invited further investments from the UAE in key sectors of the Indian economy such as infrastructure including logistics, food parks, highways, ports, airports, renewable energy and defence. It said, wide-ranging discussions were held in a friendly, frank and constructive atmosphere, reflecting the strong bilateral ties between the two partners.
Both the Ministers noted with satisfaction the progress on institutional mechanisms which continue to guide and promote multifaceted bilateral cooperation through an extensive framework of agreements. The two sides also discussed the regional issues pertaining to their neighbourhood and cooperation at the United Nations and other multilateral fora.
MEA said the UAE delegation conveyed appreciation for the significant contributions made by the Indian expatriate community and expressed its willingness to further strengthen links in energy and food security.
The two sides welcomed the close cooperation during the last few months in the fight against COVID-19 and discussed a joint strategy to offset the economic and social impact of the pandemic on both countries.