India is seeking to broaden and intensify its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar meeting Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, during which they discussed ways to forge even closer ties.

The high-level talks were attended by Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad, chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports Company, Ali Al Shamsi, deputy secretary general of the Supreme National Security Council, and Khaldoon Al Mubarak, chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority and member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council.

In early September Prime Minister Modi and Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed had spoken on the phone during which both leaders reviewed progress in their bilateral relations and agreed that there is no place for terrorism and extremism in the world.

On Saturday, Jaishankar met Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, in Dubai as part of his visit to the UAE.

According to a readout of the talks by the UAE Foreign Ministry, they discussed the longstanding and strong historic relations between the UAE and India and ways to enhance them in all fields, including the economic aspect, as well as a number of issues of mutual interest.

Jaishankar praised the strong historic ties between the UAE and India and congratulated the UAE on its being selected to host the 28th session of the next Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 28) in 2023.

India's ties with UAE are anchored by the presence of a strong Indian diaspora who are leaders in various professional fields in the UAE and are treated with great respect in the seven emirates that make up the UAE. After the lucrative Indian Premier League got suspended in the country due to Covid-19, BCCI, India's powerful cricket body, resumed and finished the suspended league in the UAE last month. 

(SAM)