Abu Dhabi hosts 14th India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting, S Jaishankar attends

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, read a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs.

Both Ministers expressed their deep satisfaction at the continued high growth trajectory of bilateral relations between India and UAE.

In this context, they noted the regular high level political interactions between both sides, especially the meeting between Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on 28 June 2022 in Abu Dhabi, their Virtual Summit on 18 February 2022 and their participation in the virtual I2U2 Summit in July 2022.

Both Ministers also noted the cooperation between the two countries in various multilateral forums and international organizations, in particular in UN Security Council in 2022.

Both Ministers expressed happiness at the entry into force of the landmark Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) on 01 May 2022 and organization of various activities and events for the effective implementation of the Agreement. Both Ministers reiterated commitment to achieving the goal of USD 100 billion of bilateral trade in the next five years.

They also positively assessed the investment partnership between both countries and the growth of UAE investments in India in diverse sectors. It is expected that the next meeting of the High Level Task Force between the two countries will be held shortly in India.

The progress in various elements of bilateral cooperation identified in Vision Statement adopted by the two leaders on 18 February 2022 was also reviewed. 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. An MOU on Climate Action was signed in May 2022.

Both Ministers reviewed the ongoing discussions between the two sides in the area of food security, including in the I2U2 framework. They 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. The discussions between both sides on establishment of an IIT in UAE have also moved forward with the establishment of a Joint Working Group between institutions on both sides.

Both Ministers emphasized the importance of promoting start-ups and entrepreneurship in different fields such as fintech, edutech, healthtech, agritech, logistics and supply chains. Both Ministers noted the possibility of linking instant payment platforms in either country, such as through the United Payment Interface (UPI) of India.

UAE Foreign Minister appreciated the contribution of the Indian community to UAE’s progress and development while External Affairs Minister of India thanked him and the entire UAE leadership for taking care of the Indian community. Both sides agreed to hold the meetings of various institutional dialogues on consular issues, skills and manpower in the coming months.

Two MOUs were signed between both sides in the presence of the Ministers. These are: MOU between Wildlife Institute of India and International Fund for Houbara Conservation for the Conservation of the Great Indian Bustard and the Lesser Florican and MOU between Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of UAE and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) on the Establishment of the India-UAE Cultural Council Forum.