UAE and India Hold Key Joint Committee and Strategic Talks

The United Arab Emirates and India held an important high-level meeting in Abu Dhabi to strengthen their growing partnership. The discussions were co-chaired by H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. The meeting brought together senior leaders from both countries.

This gathering included the Sixteenth Session of the UAE–India Joint Committee and the Fifth Strategic Dialogue. Holding these meetings at this stage shows how far relations between the two countries have progressed and highlights the strong political understanding shared by both sides.

A large number of senior ministers and officials took part in the talks, reflecting a clear commitment to expand cooperation. Both sides agreed to further work together across political, economic, cultural, and educational areas for mutual benefit.

During the meeting, the two countries reviewed the progress made under the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). This agreement has helped increase trade between the UAE and India and move closer to the shared goal of reaching 100 billion US dollars in bilateral trade.

The leaders also welcomed progress in digital payments. They highlighted the connection between India’s UPI system and the UAE’s AANI platform, as well as the use of RuPay and JAYWAN cards. These steps will make transactions faster, reduce costs, and help businesses, workers, students, and travelers.

Education was another key focus of the talks. Both sides praised the Gandhi–Zayed Center for Peace, Tolerance and Sustainability Studies as an important initiative. They also appreciated the rapid achievements of IIT Delhi Abu Dhabi, calling it a strong symbol of academic cooperation and excellence.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed said the steady growth in relations reflects the vision of the leadership of both nations. The meeting ended with the signing of official minutes, marking another important step in strengthening the strategic partnership between the UAE and India.