External affairs minister S Jaishankar visited the United Arab Emirates (UAE), one of India’s closest strategic partners in West Asia, on Sunday to assess bilateral relations and chart out new areas for cooperation.
Jaishankar would hold talks with his UAE counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on a wide range of issues under the bilateral partnership, the external affairs ministry said in a brief statement.
“This visit will provide an opportunity to review the entire spectrum of [the] comprehensive strategic partnership between India and UAE and regional and global developments,” the statement said.
The Israel-Hamas conflict and its fallout on the extended region were expected to figure in Jaishankar’s discussions, people familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity.
The two sides elevated their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in 2015 and they signed a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) in February 2022. The trade deal is expected to increase bilateral trade in goods to $100 billion within five years.
India’s main exports to the UAE include precious metals, jewellery, minerals and refined petroleum products, food items such as cereals, sugar, fruits, vegetables, tea, meat and seafood), and textiles. India’s key imports from the UAE include petroleum and petroleum products, precious metals and chemicals. India imported 21,664 million tonnes of crude oil from the UAE in 2021-22.
{{/usCountry}}India’s main exports to the UAE include precious metals, jewellery, minerals and refined petroleum products, food items such as cereals, sugar, fruits, vegetables, tea, meat and seafood), and textiles. India’s key imports from the UAE include petroleum and petroleum products, precious metals and chemicals. India imported 21,664 million tonnes of crude oil from the UAE in 2021-22.
{{/usCountry}}Two-way trade increased from $43.3 billion in 2020-21 to $72.87 billion in 2021-22.
The UAE is also home to 3.3 million Indian nationals, one of the largest concentrations of expatriates in West Asia.