Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday as part of his visit to India.
Prime Minister Modi received Sheikh Khaled at Hyderabad House in New Delhi.
The two leaders will hold discussions on all aspects of their comprehensive strategic partnership.
Sheikh Khaled arrived in India on Sunday, and was received by Piyush Goyal, India’s minister of commerce and industry, and was honoured with a traditional red-carpet reception, during which the national anthems of both the UAE and India were played.
Sheikh Khaled reviewed a ceremonial guard of honour and observed a traditional cultural performance reflecting India’s deep-rooted heritage and rich culture.
He was greeted by several senior government officials in India, as well as Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Trade, and Dr Abdulnasser Jamal Alshaali, Ambassador of the UAE to the Republic of India.
Deep-rooted relations
The official visit of Sheikh Khaled highlights the deep-rooted and longstanding strategic and historic relations between the two countries.
The visit marks a major stride in the ongoing development of UAE-India ties, which have become an international model of constructive cooperation, particularly in areas, such as economic and sustainable development, investment, trade, climate action, and promoting global stability and peace.
The UAE-India relations draw strength and momentum from a long history of bilateral meetings between the leaders of both nations, beginning in January 1975 when the UAE’s founding father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, made a historic visit to India.
During this visit, he met with the then-President of India, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, and the then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The visit saw the signing of the cultural agreement between the UAE and the Republic of India, which serves as the primary framework for strengthening cultural ties between their peoples.
Sheikh Zayed also visited India in April 1992, during which the bilateral agreement to avoid double taxation on income and capital was signed between the two countries.
The CEPA turning point
The visit of President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to India in January 2017 marked a turning point in bilateral relations, with the signing of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement, along with 13 other agreements and memoranda of understanding in various fields.
In return, Prime Minister Modi made his first visit to the UAE in August 2015, followed by six more visits in February 2018, August 2019, June 2022, July 2023, December 2023, and February 2024.
New heights
UAE-India ties reached new heights on February 18, 2022, with the launch of a Joint Vision Statement during a virtual meeting attended by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed and Narendra Modi. The two sides agreed to enhance their comprehensive strategic partnership, focusing on key areas such as the economy, culture, energy, climate action, renewable energy, technology and skills, food security and health, education, international cooperation, and defence and security.
Additionally, the UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) was signed, seeking to bolster investment and trade flows based on reduced tariffs and greater regulatory efficiency. The CEPA stands to boost bilateral non-oil trade to $100 billion by 2030.
By 2024, the UAE and India had made significant progress in maintaining their strong ties, holding 14 rounds of their joint committee, the most recent of which took place on September 1, 2022 in Abu Dhabi. In addition, three sessions of the strategic dialogue between the two countries have been held, with the latest taking place on September 2, 2022 in Abu Dhabi.
Old diplomatic relations
Boosting political ties is a key focus for both nations, which have maintained diplomatic relations since 1972. Since then, both sides have made significant and tangible efforts to strengthen bilateral relations, resulting in the signing of over 96 bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding across various fields.
The CEPA signed between the UAE and India is the first bilateral agreement the UAE has signed as part of its CEPA programme.
Total non-oil trade between the two countries rose by 3.94 percent from $51.4 billion in 2022 to $53.4 billion in 2023.
UAE investments in India totalled approximately $16.2 billion from 2019 to 2023, while Indian investments in the UAE reached $7.76 billion. UAE’s investments in India span several sectors, including renewable energy, metals, software, IT services, chemicals, and original automotive equipment manufacturing. The Indian community is the largest foreign community in the UAE and contributes significantly to the local economy.
For more economy news, click here.
