India-UAE bilateral relations will see extraordinary developments in coming months, India’s Foreign Secretary, Mr. Harsh V Shringla said on Monday during his visit to the India Pavilion at EXPO2020 Dubai. “There is a lot more to see in India-UAE bilateral relationship as we progress. Our relationship is based on technology, finance and energy and today it is further bolstered by the most important aspect of people-to-people contact,” he added.
Speaking on the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between India and the UAE, Mr. Shringla said, “We are in the process of negotiating a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the UAE. Negotiations are proceeding well, and we are optimistic that it will provide a unique opportunity to take India-UAE trade and investment relations to exponential heights. We are looking forward to the conclusion of the negotiations at the earliest.”
Elaborating on the India-UAE relations, the Foreign Secretary said, “We must acknowledge that our relationship with the United Arab Emirates is at a high-point. The visit of His Highness, the Crown Prince of the UAE to India in 2016 and PM Shri Narendra Modi’s visit to the UAE in 2018 opened a new chapter in our bilateral relations. Those two visits shaped our relationships.”
“As India is celebrating its 75years of independence- Amrit Mahotsav and the UAE is celebrating its 50 years of foundation, it is an extraordinary conjuncture between the two countries to come together,” he added.
Highlighting the significance of India’s participation at EXPO2020 Dubai, Mr. Shringla said, “Dubai Expo provides a unique platform for countries to showcase their capabilities at a global level. The India Pavilion is one of the five permanent exhibitions at the Expo, and it truly showcases the progress and development made by the country in the last few years. It provides visitors a chance to witness India’s economic development and rich cultural heritage.”
“We should use every opportunity to highlight the progress made by the country and India Pavilion at EXPO2020 Dubai is one such platform. We have a high footfall at the Pavilion with visitors including investors, entrepreneurs, and businesspeople coming from all over the world. The government has taken some significant steps in recent months to provide incentives and opportunities to investors and we are able to highlight it to global audience with the help of the India Pavilion,” he added.
