External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar emphasized the need to scale up defence and security cooperation with the UAE for mutual benefit. In his opening remarks at the 15th India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting with his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan in New Delhi today, Dr Jaishankar said that India and the UAE share a common interest in preserving and promoting the stability, security, and prosperity of their regions. He noted that enhancing defence and security cooperation would contribute to this shared goal.

Dr Jaishankar pointed out that the Joint Commission Meeting (JCM) has been an important mechanism for the two countries to discuss the full range of their growing and diverse bilateral partnership. He further emphasized that the exchange of five visits between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in the last 18 months is a testament to their commitment to the relationship and to the relationship itself. He underlined that bilateral economic and commercial ties between the two countries are not only very strong but also increasingly diversified and deep.

Dr Jaishankar also mentioned the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), stating that trade has steadily grown and now stands at 85 billion dollars. The success of CEPA has spurred new initiatives like the Virtual Trade Corridor and the Maitri Interface, both of which provide further impetus to trade and help India achieve its target of 100 billion dollars in non-oil trade in the coming years. Dr Jaishankar also noted that the UAE is among the top sources of investments for India.