External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday for an official visit focused on strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing cooperation between the two nations. The Consulate General of India in Dubai shared the news on social media platform X, expressing eagerness to advance the partnership between India and the UAE.
India and the UAE established diplomatic relations in 1972, with embassies set up in each other’s countries within the following year. The two nations share strong ties within the United Nations and collaborate in various multilateral forums, including BRICS, I2U2 (India-Israel-UAE-USA), and the UAE-France-India (UFI) Trilateral. The UAE also participated in the recent G20 Summit hosted by India as a guest country.
India-UAE relations have been especially dynamic since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic visit to the UAE in 2015, the first by an Indian Prime Minister in over three decades. This visit initiated a Comprehensive and Strategic Partnership between the nations, followed by multiple visits by PM Modi, the latest in late 2023 for the COP28-World Climate Action Summit. In 2022, the two countries signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) to deepen their economic relationship.
On the UAE side, President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed has made several visits to India, including during his tenure as Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi in 2016 and 2017. His latest visit was in September 2023, when he attended the G20 Leaders’ Summit. He also joined the Virtual Global South Summit in November 2023 and attended the 10th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit as Chief Guest in January 2024. Earlier this year, Jaishankar met with his UAE counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to discuss the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership further.
During his visit, Jaishankar also led International Day of Yoga celebrations at the Louvre Abu Dhabi alongside Indian Ambassador to the UAE, Sunjay Sudhir.