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UAE-India ties emerged stronger in Covid-19 fight, says envoy

Dubai - Covid-19 vaccines and the Vande Bharat Mission are notable bilateral collaborations, Indian envoy says

The India-UAE comprehensive strategic partnership has truly emerged stronger since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, said Pavan Kapoor, India’s Ambassador to the UAE during the WION Global Summit 2021 in Dubai on Wednesday.

The two countries have developed strong collaboration on multiple fronts, notably Covid-19 vaccines and the Vande Bharat mission, which is allowing travel of non-resident Indians (NRIs) between the two countries.

“In the first three months of launching the Vande Bharat mission — May, June, and July — India had repatriated over 300,000 Indian nationals from the UAE to India,” said Kapoor.

“The numbers have since crossed over a million and a half but a very large number of people who travelled to India have since also come back, especially after we entered into a bilateral a bubble arrangement which is still ongoing and supporting the strong people-to-people exchanges between the two countries,” he said.

The UAE and India are operating over 300 flights a week between the two countries, which is the largest of the 27 air bubble arrangements that India has in place at present.

“The successful effort and repatriation and continuing exchange of people would not have been possible without the strong support of the UAE government and their departments in particular of health, civil aviation, interior, and the Foreign Ministry. In fact, the India-UAE comprehensive strategic partnership has truly emerged stronger since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. The constant high-level empathetic exchanges between our leadership have ensured this outcome,” he added.