India and UAE signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the Cultural Council Forum to deepen the partnership and reinforce age-old people-to-people ties, during the 14th India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.
The MoU was signed between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of UAE and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), according to an MEA press release on Friday. Besides, the two countries signed two MoUs to work towards the conservation of the endangered Great Indian Bustard and the Lesser Florican.
“These are MOU between the Wildlife Institute of India and the International Fund for Houbara Conservation for the Conservation of the Great Indian Bustard and the Lesser Florican,” the MEA press release stated.
The meeting was co-chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdulla bin Zayed Al Nahyan where the two ministers discussed significant progress in cooperation and identify avenues for future collaboration.
“A very productive meeting of the 14th India-UAE Joint Commission.Thank HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan for co-chairing it. Assessed the significant progress made in multiple domains of cooperation. The Joint Vision of our leadership is being implemented expeditiously,” Jaishankar tweeted on Friday.
During the meeting, Jaishankar and UAE FM expressed their deep satisfaction with the continued high growth trajectory of bilateral relations between the two countries.
The two ministers noted the regular high-level political interactions between both sides, especially the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on June 28, in Abu Dhabi, their Virtual Summit on February 18, and their participation in the virtual I2U2 Summit in July, this year.
Besides, they also noted the cooperation between the two countries in various multilateral forums and international organizations, in particular in UN Security Council in 2022, according to the MEA press release.
Jaishankar and UAE FM expressed happiness at the entry into force of the landmark Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) on May 1 and the organization of various activities and events for the effective implementation of the Agreement.
Both Ministers reiterated their commitment to achieving the goal of USD 100 billion in bilateral trade in the next five years.
They also assessed the investment partnership between both countries and the growth of UAE investments in India in diverse sectors. It is expected that the next meeting of the High-Level Task Force between the two countries will be held shortly in India.
As per the official statement, the progress in various elements of bilateral cooperation identified in the Vision Statement adopted by the two leaders on February 18 was also reviewed. Both Ministers noted the commitment on either side to further strengthen their long-term energy partnership, including two-way investments.
In May, India and UAE signed an MoU on Climate Action. In this context, Jaishankar and his UAE counterpart during the meeting noted the progress in discussions on various aspects related to renewable energy and Green Hydrogen.
Recently, a team consisting of both government and private sector representatives from India and UAE visited Kenya and Tanzania to identify opportunities for joint projects in the health sector.
Jaishankar with his UAE counterpart reviewed the ongoing discussions between the two sides in the area of food security, including in the I2U2 framework. The two ministers expressed happiness at the forward movement in healthcare and education cooperation.
The discussions between both sides on the establishment of an IIT in UAE have also moved forward with the establishment of a Joint Working Group between institutions on both sides.
Both Ministers emphasized the importance of promoting start-ups and entrepreneurship in different fields such as fintech, edutech, health tech, agritech, logistics and supply chains.
Both Ministers observed the possibility of linking instant payment platforms in either country, such as through the United Payment Interface (UPI) of India.
UAE Foreign Minister appreciated the contribution of the Indian community to UAE’s progress and development while Jaishankar thanked him and the entire UAE leadership for taking care of the Indian community.
Both sides agreed to hold meetings of various institutional dialogues on consular issues, skills and manpower in the coming months.