- Saturday, June 29, 2024
The top diplomat was set to meet his counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nayhan and speak over a range of issues, related to the situation in Gaza and ties between India and the UAE.
By: Shubham Ghosh
INDIAN external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Sunday (23) arrived in the United Arab Emirates to meet his counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nayhan. The talks were expected to cover a range of issues, related to the situation in Gaza where a deadly conflict is underway between Israel and Hamas, and bilateral ties between India and the UAE that have grown in leaps and bounds over the last many years.
Ahead of his meeting with Al Nayhan, Jaishankar went to the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi, which was inaugurated by prime minister Narendra Modi in February this year.
Later, the Indian diplomat said in a post on X, “Blessed to visit the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi today. A visible symbol of India-UAE friendship, it radiates a positive message to the world and is a true cultural bridge between our two countries.”
Read: Think tank seeks FTA duty revision as India’s gold, silver import from UAE surges 210%
Blessed to visit the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi today.
A visible symbol of India-UAE friendship, it radiates a positive message to the world and is a true cultural bridge between our two countries.
🇮🇳 🇦🇪 @AbuDhabiMandir pic.twitter.com/6YO7gj3geZ
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) June 23, 2024
The Indian foreign minister spoke with monks of BAPS, which is behind the temple’s construction on land donated by the UAE government.
Read: Future of India-UAE economic ties banks on manufacturing in Gulf state: executive
The temple, which speaks of remarkable craftsmanship, serves as a testament to strong bilateral bonds between India and the UAE.
The Indian ministry of external affairs said Jaishankar’s latest visit to the UAE creates an opportunity to assess the entire spectrum of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two Asian nations, besides discussing regional and global developments.
The Indian diaspora in the UAE, which is nearly 3.5 million people, also plays a key role in strengthening the bond between the two countries.
Modi made a landmark visit to the UAE in August 2015, a year after he became the prime minister, and bilateral ties between the two nations were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The Indian leader has made seven visits to the Gulf nation since then, the latest being in February this year.
The inking of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement between the two nations in February 2022 gave a fillip to their economic ties, providing benefits among others, reduction and elimination of tax and promoting an open trade environment.
In terms of foreign direct investment, the UAE was one of the top four investors in India in 2022-23, which also speaks volumes about their growing ties.
