External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday co-chaired the 16th India-UAE Joint Commission and the 5th Strategic Dialogue with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, in Abu Dhabi.
The meeting reviewed all aspects of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and the UAE and identified key priorities for future cooperation. The discussions reflected the growing depth and breadth of bilateral ties across political, economic and strategic domains.
Highlighting the importance of the relationship, Jaishankar said that deeper India-UAE cooperation advances shared interests and contributes to regional and global stability. He underlined the significant growth in bilateral trade, investments, fintech collaboration and digital connectivity following the implementation of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement and the Bilateral Investment Treaty.
The External Affairs Minister also emphasised the vast potential in connectivity and logistics, both bilaterally and through regional initiatives such as the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor. He noted that these frameworks can play a transformative role in strengthening supply chains and economic integration.
Energy cooperation featured prominently in the discussions, with a particular focus on civil nuclear collaboration. Jaishankar also highlighted the importance of strengthening educational ties, cultural exchanges and people-to-people linkages, which remain a cornerstone of the partnership.
The talks further explored new areas of cooperation, including critical minerals, space, polar research and enhanced coordination in multilateral forums and trilateral mechanisms. Defence and security cooperation was also reviewed as a key pillar of the strategic partnership.
Earlier, Jaishankar met UAE Vice President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and discussed ways to deepen economic and defence cooperation. He also held talks with Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Managing Director and Group CEO of Mubadala Investment Company, focusing on the evolving global geo-economic landscape and emerging opportunities for India-UAE collaboration.
