The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan will pay an official visit to New Delhi during November 21-22. The visit will be “part of regular consultations between the two countries” regarding bilateral and global issues, said the Ministry of External Affairs on Monday, announcing the visit.
India and the UAE signed a landmark Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) on February 18. The agreement entered into force on May 1. Subsequently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Abu Dhabi on June 28 on his way back home from Europe, when he was welcomed by President of the UAE Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. It was Mr. Modi’s fourth visit to the UAE since he was sworn in first in May 2014. Earlier, Mr. Modi visited the UAE on August 2015, February 2018 and in August 2019.
The two sides have entered into a new quadrilateral initiative called I2U2 — Israel, India, United States and the United Arab Emirates — with an aim to intensify cooperation in the fields of agriculture, digital connectivity and infrastructure development among other issues. The UAE has normalised relations with Israel and the Jewish state has established a diplomatic mission in Abu Dhabi, which was opened last year.
The UAE Foreign Minister’s visit will be a reciprocation to the August 31-September 2 visit by External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar to the Gulf nation when he met Mr. Nahyan during the 14th India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) and third India-UAE Strategic Dialogue.
