Abu Dhabi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrived in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday for an official visit. The Consulate General of India in Dubai announced on social media platform X that the purpose of the visit is to further strengthen bilateral ties and enhance cooperation between the two nations. “External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar arrived in the UAE for an official visit. Looking forward to further strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing cooperation between our nations,” the Consulate General of India stated on X.
India and the UAE established diplomatic relations in 1972. The UAE opened its Embassy in India that same year, while India opened its Embassy in the UAE in 1973. The two countries share strong cooperation at the United Nations and participate in several multilateral platforms, including BRICS, I2U2 (India-Israel-UAE-USA), and the UAE-France-India (UFI) Trilateral. The UAE was also invited as a guest country to the G20 Summit held under India’s presidency.
Bilateral relations between India and the UAE gained significant momentum following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic visit to the UAE in 2015, marking the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister in 34 years. This event began a new era of Comprehensive and Strategic Partnership between the two countries. Since then, PM Modi has visited the UAE multiple times, with the most recent visit occurring in November-December 2023 for the COP28-World Climate Action Summit in Dubai. In 2022, India and the UAE signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) during a virtual summit between PM Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed has also made several visits to India, initially as the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi in 2016 and 2017, and most recently as President of the UAE in September 2023 for the G20 Leaders’ Summit. In January 2024, he attended the 10th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit as Chief Guest. Earlier this year, in June, EAM Jaishankar met with his UAE counterpart, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to discuss the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. During his current visit, Jaishankar also participated in the 10th International Day of Yoga celebrations in Abu Dhabi, leading the Yoga Day event at the Louvre Abu Dhabi alongside Indian Ambassador to the UAE, Sunjay Sudhir.
