India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) virtual summit, which is scheduled to take place on Friday, is an important event, said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday.
“The India UAE virtual summit on 18 February is an important event. India and the UAE have deepened and transformed their bilateral ties significantly over the past few years. We have made substantial progress on some aspects of the free trade agreement,” MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told ANI during a weekly press briefing.
“We have made some progress in certain agreements. Once the summit is over tomorrow, we will be in a position to share more details,” he added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of UAE Armed Forces, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan are set to hold a virtual summit on Friday where they will discuss bilateral cooperation and exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual interest.
In recent years, bilateral relations between India and the UAE have strengthened in all areas, and both sides have embarked upon a comprehensive strategic partnership.
Prime Minister visited UAE in 2015, 2018, and 2019 while the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi visited India in 2016 and 2017. Ministerial visits between the two sides have also continued, including three visits of External Affairs Minister and a visit of Commerce and Industry Minister to UAE in 2021, the MEA said.