Enhancing def, energy ties on agenda as UAE foreign min heads

Foreign Minister of United Arab Emirates Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan will arrive here next week during which both sides will deliberate on enhancing ties in a range of key areas, including defence production, security, counter-terrorism, energy and trade and investment.
Al-Nahyan will be here primarily to participate in the India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting on Technical and Economical Cooperation to be held on September 2-3.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited UAE from August 17-18, the first by an Indian premier to the Gulf nation in 34 years, during which both sides had decided to significantly ramp up cooperation in a range of areas such as counter- terrorism, defence and economy.

Al-Nahyan will be accompanied by a delegation comprising senior officials and captains of industry.
The Joint Commission Meeting will be co-chaired by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and the UAE Foreign Minister.
The meeting will discuss a variety of bilateral issues, including trade, investment and cooperation in new areas, defence production, infrastructure, security, counter- terrorism, energy security and medium and small enterprises, the External Affairs Ministry said.

It will also deliberate on scientific collaboration in areas such as space and renewable energy, sustainable development, environment, arid agriculture, desert ecology, urban development and advanced healthcare.
"India and UAE have historically enjoyed close and friendly relations marked by high-level visits, commercial exchanges and people-to-people contacts.

"Geographical proximity, historical trade links, cultural affinities and growing cooperation in key areas of mutual interest, including energy security, trade and investment, infrastructure development projects, petrochemicals, education and culture continue to strengthen and deepen this relationship," the Ministry said.
It said the historic visit of the Prime Minister to the UAE has "redefined" the relationship and elevated it to a strategic partnership.
"The forthcoming Joint Commission Meeting is expected to take our multifaceted bilateral relations to new heights," it said.