UAE keen to give strategic direction to ties with India

NEW DELHI: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is keen to give “strategic direction” to its growing relationship with India, according to its Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Mohammed Gargash.

Taking part in “In Conversation” programme organised by Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and the Embassy of UAE here on Wednesday, Dr Gargash said thanks to the strong political will of the leadership in New Delhi and Abu Dhabi, the bilateral relationship is building quite well.

Now it is time that the building relationship is given a strategic direction so that both the countries can utilise the full potential, he said.


Dr. Gargash said as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said during his visit to Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia is “willing to put more and more investment” in India, especially in the infrastructure sector. He said there are lots of opportunities for this.

Saying security and stability is very important for his country in these “difficult, fluid times”, Dr Gargash said UAE and India would increase its cooperation to take on the fight against terrorism.

“We are more keen on addressing the threat of terrorism,” he said, noting that “we cannot afford instability in the region”.

He stressed the need to fight the militant minority who have hijacked the Islam religion for political purposes.

Saying Syria and Yemen are cases of failures of diplomacy, he said the biggest test for Russia now is how to convert the gains (in Syria) to political solution.