India and UAE took stock of their strategic partnership during the 4th Strategic Dialogue and 15th Joint Commission Meeting held in the national capital, and also signed a new MoU for polar and ocean research collaborations.
The 4th Strategic Dialogue was held on Thursday. It was co-chaired by EAM Jaishankar and UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan co-chaired the dialogue.
During the Strategic Dialogue, the two sides held discussions to expand the strategic partnership in several areas, including defence, emerging technologies, nuclear energy, polar research, critical minerals and renewable energy, among others. The two sides also discussed regional and international issues of mutual interest, the MEA stated.
The last edition of the Strategic Dialogue was held in Abu Dhabi in September 2022.
The 15th India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) was co-chaired by the two leaders on Friday. The two Ministers were joined by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, UAE Minister of Economy, Reem Al Hashimy, UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation and Special Envoy for India, Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, UAE Minister of State for Economic and Trade Affairs, Ambassadors, and senior officials from both sides.
They acknowledged the tremendous growth in bilateral relations since the elevation of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2017, which has been nurtured by the strong bonds of friendship between Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi and UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the people of the two countries. They noted with satisfaction regular high-level visits exchanged between the two countries since the last JCM in September 2022 at Abu Dhabi.
The two leaders welcomed the signing and entry into force of the India-UAE Bilateral Investment Treaty. They reaffirmed the strong trade relationship between the UAE and India, further enhanced by the India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), the MEA statement read.
They also commended the strong cooperation between the two central banks, particularly in the fintech sector, and the development of public digital infrastructure, including Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDC), instant payments, and card schemes.
“Both sides also discussed the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC), a major initiative aimed at improving maritime connectivity and trade between India, the UAE, and Europe. Welcoming the recent launch of the work on the Virtual Trade Corridor (VTC) between the two countries and the MAITRI interface (Master Application for International Trade and Regulatory Interface), they acknowledged that VTC and MAITRI will streamline trade processes through a data exchange system that facilitates paperless transactions between the two countries,” it read.
Both Ministers commended the functioning of the IIT-Delhi Abu Dhabi campus, which was inaugurated by Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled Bin Mohamed on September 2, 2024.
They reviewed the ongoing work to establish the overseas campus of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad and the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade in Dubai. They highlighted the need to strengthen partnerships between Higher Education Institutes of both countries, with a focus on advancing joint research initiatives, academic exchanges, and the development of new technologies.
EAM Jaishankar thanked the UAE leadership for the care and hospitality extended to the 3.89 million Indians in the UAE. The Deputy Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister of the UAE also appreciated the contribution of the Indian community to the UAE’s progress and development. Both sides agreed to hold meetings of various institutional dialogues to resolve consular issues and enhance collaboration in skills and manpower in the coming months.
On the sidelines of the 15th JCM Meeting, an MoU between the Emirates Polar Mission Steering Committee of UAE and the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) of India was signed.
“The MoU will facilitate cooperation between the two sides in the fields of polar and ocean regions through partnerships in polar operations, research and academic collaborations, capacity building and supporting each other’s presence at the poles,” the MEA release added.
Taking to social media platform X, Jaishankar called the meeting “extremely wide-ranging” and said they discussed convergence on various global issues.
“Co-chaired an extremely wide-ranging and productive 15th India-UAE JCM along with DPM & FM Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan of UAE today in New Delhi. The discussions covered various facets of our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership including economic & commercial relations, energy security, defence cooperation, people-to-people ties, cultural & heritage linkages and promoting the stability, security & prosperity of both our regions,” Jaishankar said in a post on X.
“Also Witnessed exchange of MoU on the Polar Research Collaboration. And shared perspectives on developments in West Asia, our partnership in IMEC, I2U2 and our convergences on various global issues,” he added.
Sharing a post on X, Jaiswal wrote, “On the sidelines of 15th India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting, an MoU on Polar Research Collaboration was signed between the Emirates Polar Mission Steering Committee of UAE & the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) of India.”
“The MoU will facilitate cooperation between India & UAE in the field of polar and ocean regions through partnerships in polar operations, research & academic collaborations and capacity building,” the post added.
