Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to make his first foreign visit in 2022 to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in early January to chart a course to take forward the burgeoning relations between the two countries, Trend reports citing Hindustan Times.
India and the UAE will be commemorating the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties next year, and the visit is expected to focus on both deepening cooperation and looking for new areas for collaboration, the above-mentioned people said. Several agreements in different areas are likely to be signed during the visit.
The dates for what is anticipated to be a brief visit are yet to be finalised by the two countries, though it is expected that the prime minister could travel to the UAE around January 6, the people said. Modi is also expected to visit the India Pavilion at the Dubai Expo, which has attracted more than 604,000 visitors in nearly three months.
The pavilion has showcased the Indian start-up ecosystem through initiatives such as “Elevate”, which displays unconventional solutions created by 500 Indian start-ups, and also highlighted investment opportunities in sectors such as new and renewable energy, space, urban and rural development, oil and gas, textiles and education.
India and the UAE are also engaged in negotiations for a comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) and are hoping to complete the talks by March next year. The issue is expected to figure during the prime minister’s visit, the people said.
The strong bilateral ties between India and UAE got a boost when Modi visited the Emirates in August 2015, marking the beginning of a new strategic partnership between the two sides. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and deputy supreme commander of the UAE armed forces, was the chief guest at the Republic day celebrations in January 2017.
India and the UAE are also now part of a new grouping, which includes the US and Israel and is working on economic and business collaboration. The foreign ministers of the four countries are expected to hold their first in-person meeting in March to take forward an agenda focused on economic and infrastructure projects.
The UAE is home to more than three million Indians who are a key source of remittances. India has been pushing countries in West Asia to facilitate the return of Indian workers who had come home at the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Defence and security ties between India and the UAE have also grown in recent years. The Indian Army chief, Gen MM Naravane, made the first-ever visit by an army chief to the UAE in December last year, followed by Indian Air Force chief, Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria, who visited the emirates in July this year.