India, UAE review strategic ties; focus on IMEC, defence, nuclear

EAM S Jaishankar and his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan co-chaired the 16th India-UAE Joint Commission in Abu Dhabi. They reviewed their strategic partnership, focusing on IMEC, defence, security, and civil nuclear cooperation.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday co-chaired the 16th India-UAE Joint Commission and the 5th Strategic Dialogue with UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi, during which the two sides comprehensively reviewed their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and identified key priorities for future cooperation.

In a post on X, EAM Jaishankar said the discussions covered all aspects of the rapidly expanding India-UAE relationship, with a focus on areas such as civil nuclear cooperation, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), defence and security cooperation, and critical minerals. "Delighted to co-chair the India-UAE 16th Joint Commission and 5th Strategic Dialogue with UAE DPM & FM HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi today. We reviewed all aspects of our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and identified key priorities going forward," Jaishankar said.

Economic Partnership and Connectivity

During the dialogue, the External Affairs Minister highlighted the significant growth in bilateral trade, investments, fintech and digital connectivity following the implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in 2022 and the Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) in 2024. He also underlined the vast potential in connectivity and logistics, both bilaterally and through initiatives such as IMEC.

Expanding Cooperation in Key Sectors

Jaishankar said the two sides also discussed expanding energy collaboration, with a particular focus on civil nuclear cooperation, as well as consolidating defence and security cooperation. Other key areas of engagement included strengthening educational ties, enhancing cultural exchanges and people-to-people linkages, and exploring new frontiers of cooperation in critical minerals, space and polar research.

The discussions also covered closer coordination in multilateral fora and trilateral mechanisms, reflecting the shared strategic outlook of the two countries. "In today's world, deeper India-UAE cooperation advances shared interests and contributes to regional and global stability," Jaishankar said.

UAE Reaffirms Strong Bilateral Relations

In a separate post on X, the Office of the UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs noted that the Joint Committee and Strategic Dialogue mechanisms effectively translate the visions of the leadership of both countries into practical outcomes amid growing UAE-India relations. "Abdullah bin Zayed and Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar co-chair the 16th session of the Joint Committee and the 5th round of the Strategic Dialogue between UAE & India, during which His Highness affirmed that these mechanisms effectively translate the visions of the two countries' leaderships into practical outcomes amid the growing UAE-India relations," the post read.

Foundation of the Strategic Partnership

In 2017, during the state visit of the President of the UAE, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan to India, New Delhi and Abu Dhabi elevated their multifaceted ties between the two countries to a higher and qualitatively new level by signing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement, based on mutual understanding and confidence in each other, with the primary aim to ensure peace and prosperity of both nations. (ANI)

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