External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is on a three-day visit to the United Arab Emirates where he will meet the country’s top leadership to advance the India-UAE comprehensive strategic partnership.
“During the visit, EAM will meet the leadership of the UAE to review the close partnership between the two countries and explore avenues to further enhance the bilateral relationship. He will also deliver the keynote address at the inaugural session of Raisina Middle East to be held in Abu Dhabi,” per a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs.
The visit, from January 27-29, will provide an opportunity to advance the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, it said.
The Minister is also likely to discuss the situation in Gaza with the UAE leadership focussing on how the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas was playing out, sources said.
India and the UAE elevated their bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the country in August 2015.
The two countries have also implemented a free trade agreement to achieve higher growth in trade and investment flows. Although India is facing some issues as the FTA resulted in sharp increase in imports of platinum, gold, silver and some food items from the UAE, the two countries are trying to sort out the matter, sources said.
