UAE-India ties to boost with President’s visit

Indian President Pratibha Patil begins a state visit to UAE on Sunday, which draws great importance as it is part of the efforts to strengthen bilateral relations

By (WAM)

Published: Sat 20 Nov 2010, 5:46 PM

Last updated: Mon 6 Apr 2015, 4:05 PM

Indian President Pratibha Patil begins a state visit to UAE on Sunday, which draws great importance as it is part of the efforts to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries in economic, trade, labour, political and cultural avenues.

President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan has always expressed his keenness to promote bilateral cooperation with India through mutual understanding and convergence in the views of both countries over issues of common concern.

The bilateral relations between the UAE and India enjoy power and strength as they based on historical roots and mutual interests and cooperation.

The visit by President Patil comes within the framework of mutual official visits by senior officials in both countries aimed to strengthen cooperation for the benefit of both countries.

This is the first visit by Pratibha Patil to UAE and comes after the visit to UAE by former president Abdul kalam earlier in 2003.

In March this year, His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai paid an official visit to India and the talks with the senior officials focused on expanding economic cooperation between the two countries.

India’s relations with the UAE and all the various countries in the region date back to the dawn of history as India and the UAE had set up trade relations before thousands of years and both countries featured significantly in the global maritime trade.

Over the past decades, the relations between UAE and India were further strengthened, thanks to the understanding and the convergence of political and economic interests shared between the two countries, as well as to the foreign policy orientations of the United Arab Emirates established by the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

The great attention given to relations with India is clearly reflected in the historic visit by the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan to India in January 1975, when he met with the ten Prime Minister late Mrs. Indira Gandhi, as well as with the President of India and other senior statesmen.

The visits between senior officials in both countries continued over the past decades. These included the visits by former Indian president Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed to the UAE in November 1976 and by Indian Prime minister Indira Gandhi in May 1981.

The late Indira Gandhi held important talks with the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.

These visits have shown the extent of convergence and understanding in the views and political attitudes between the two countries towards regional and international issues at the time, especially with regard to the situation in the Middle East, where both countries emphasized the need for Israel’s withdrawal from all territories occupied in 1967 including the city of Jerusalem.

Both countries also emphasized the rights of the people of Palestine and especially the right to return and live in their homeland and establish their independent state.

Recently, India and the UAE agreed to boost their ‘deep-rooted relationship’ and enhance ties in various spheres.

The Indian delegation led then by Vijaya Latha Reddy, secretary (east), ministry of external affairs met with Mohammed Gargash, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

In statements following a meeting held by the UAE-India Political Consultation Committee in the UAE, Reddy said they discussed topics of mutual interest and ways to further relations and friendship.

Reddy also lauded the progress made by the UAE in all fields and praised the leadership of President Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Later in June, UAE Minister of Economy Sultan Al Mansouri and Indian Ambassador Lokesh Mysore Kapanaiah held a meeting in Dubai to discuss economic relations and investment incentives the UAE and India offer for attracting foreign capital.

In 2008, the UAE -India non-oil trade exchange reached US$ 32 billion to account for 15% of the UAE’s total foreign trade, according to the Minister.

Al Mansouri urged Indian companies to seize investment opportunities and potentials the UAE offers in infrastructure and clean energy and invited both Emirati and Indian businessmen to exchange visits to closely explore means to seize these opportunities.

He noted that more than 105 Indian companies run investments in the UAE in addition to other hundreds companies operating in the UAE’s free zones.

The minister lauded the Indian community as a major contributor to the comprehensive development in the UAE, forming an important part of various vital segments in the UAE. ‘

‘The UAE wise leadership is always keen to secure a safe, attractive environment to the Indian community, allowing it to realize ambitions and successes,’ he added.

Lat February, UAE Minister of Foreign Trade Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi opened a six-day promotional tour of commercial and investment opportunities in the UAE in the city of Mumbai, representing the second leg of an official Indian visit which started in New Delhi.

The UAE Ministry of Foreign Trade (MoFT) has been overseeing a tour of four Indian cities with the participation of 43 representatives from ministries, federal authorities, local government departments, and private companies.

Events included a joint forum with the Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry held under the theme ‘Why UAE?’.

In her opening speech, Sheikha Lubna emphasized the UAE’s commitment to enhancing trade and economic ties with is partners, particularly India, based on the Emirates’ policy of openness, trade liberalization, increased foreign investments, and expanded private-sector participation in development. These, she explained, are vital to expediting economic growth and strengthening the components of the overall development of the UAE in various sectors.

‘We came to Mumbai to promote business partnerships and strategic relations between the UAE and India. We have developed these as a trade-oriented bilateral partnership; in fact, India is our top foreign commercial partner, while the UAE is India’s main commercial ally in the Middle East, with non-oil trade exchange between our countries surpassing $32bn in 2008,’ Sheikha Lubna said.

The UAE Minister commented that the UAE is currently the most dynamic economy in the Middle East and is well-positioned within the global economy. She attributed this status to the Emirates’ successful economic strategy, development policy, and comprehensive economic diversification, noting that initial estimates of non-oil contributions to the national GDP amounted to around 66% last year.

She pointed out that the UAE offers various trade and investment incentives for Indian and international companies, such as its close geographical location near European and emerging Asian markets; highly-competitive free zones that provide advanced services to investors; 100% transfer of capital and profits; diverse industries and non-oil sectors; highly-available raw materials; cheap energy sources; zero profit and personal income taxes; and other elements that make the business and work environment of the UAE one of the most competitive in the world.

Sheikha Lubna added that the UAE and India should benefit from expectations of economic recovery within the year, and continue reinforcing the bilateral trade, economic, business, and cultural ties that have been existing between the two countries for so long.

She explained that the UAE is the fastest-growing ICT-enabled country in the region, noting the local presence of several technology-based research centres and unique local skills that can facilitate potential partnerships and investments in research, development and product innovation. She added that the country also offers numerous investment prospects in renewable energy.

Al-Qassimi also commended the role of Mumbai in promoting trade, economic and investment relations between the UAE and India, especially as it is the trade and economic hub of India and one of the most attractive cities for diverse investment activity. She further stated that Mumbai helps facilitate smooth bilateral partnerships between local investors and their UAE counterparts.