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The UAE on Sunday pledged total support to India in combating terrorism, as it looked towards elevating bilateral defence and security ties and signing a Strategic Cooperation Agreement during the visit of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of UAE Armed Forces, here from Tuesday.
The pacts are part of 16 agreements to be signed between the two countries after talks on January 25 between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shaikh Mohammed, who will be the chief guest at this year's Republic Day parade, UAE Ambassador Ahmed Al Banna said in an interview.
"We cooperate with India to combat extremists and terrorists all over the world and we support the Indian authorities and government in their endeavour to protect itself from any terrorist or extremist group," he said.
Asserting that his country was among the first to condemn the terror strike on an Indian airbase in Pathankot, Al Banna said the UAE had also supported the surgical strikes carried out by India.
"When the bombing of the airbase took place, we were the first ones to condemn it. The UAE was among the first countries which supported India's surgical strikes and we support India's efforts to fight and counter-attack and attack terrorists and extremists," he said.
The envoy also said the National Security Advisors of the UAE and India have been holding consultations regularly.
After the first Strategic Dialogue on Friday, the UAE side, led by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash, held a meeting with NSA Ajit Doval, he added.
Asked about the role the UAE, which is seen as a "key interlocutor" by India, could play in conveying Indian concerns to Pakistan over terrorism allegedly emanating from there, Al Banna said: "We listen to them (Indian authorities). We coordinate with them and will be more than willing whenever we are asked by the Indian side to assist or interfere or take any action for betterment of our relationship."
He also said the UAE would work closely with India in Afghanistan where five UAE diplomats were killed earlier this month in a terror attack.
Noting that investigations were still going on to find out those responsible for the attack, Al Banna said: "We will take our revenge once we know the culprits."
Al Banna pitched for closer collaboration between the two countries in dealing with terror groups like Daesh. - PTI
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