New Delhi, Dec 2 (IANS) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar on Tuesday extended greetings to people of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on their National Day, expressing New Delhi’s commitment to strengthening Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and further strengthening commercial, cultural and people-to-people ties.

In a statement shared on X, EAM Jaishankar stated, “Warmest greetings to DPM & FM Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Government and people of the UAE on their National Day. We remain committed to strengthening our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and further deepening our commercial, cultural and people-to-people ties.”

On Monday, Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal attended the UAE National Day celebrations in New Delhi and hailed the strong partnership between the two nations.

“Delighted to attend the 54th UAE National Day celebrations! Grateful for the warmth & hospitality extended by H.E. Dr Abdulnasser Jamal Alshaali, Ambassador of UAE to India, UAE Embassy in India. Proud of the strong India-UAE partnership, driven by trust, innovation & shared vision for the future,” Goyal posted on X.

On November 26, India and UAE held the 6th Meeting of the Joint Committee on Consular Affairs (JCCA) in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday, agreeing on further steps to enhance cooperation across the consular, visa and legal domains.

The two delegations reviewed progress since the previous meeting of the JCCA held in New Delhi in 2024. The officials of India and UAE exchanged their experiences and best practices followed in the consular domain.

India appreciated the UAE leadership and authorities’ support for the welfare of the Indian community living in the UAE, which serves as a vital bridge in strengthening bilateral ties, according to a statement released by Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

“The discussions resulted in progress in the following four key areas: Enhanced information flow and consular access; Expedited cooperation on Mutual Legal Assistance and Extradition cases; Progressive liberalisation of visa policies; and, an institutionalised review mechanism,” the MEA stated.

India and UAE also reaffirmed their commitment in ensuring the safety, dignity and well-being of their citizens living in each other’s countries.

“The meeting took place in an atmosphere of traditional warmth and cooperation that characterises the historic and Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and the UAE. Both sides underlined the strength of the relationship, driven by the vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and His Highness President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and deeply rooted in the close ties between the peoples of the two countries,” the statement added.

For the meeting, the Indian delegation was led by Arun Kumar Chatterjee, Secretary (Consular, Passport, Visa and Overseas Indian Affairs), MEA, and the UAE delegation was led by Omar Obaid AlHesan AlShamsi, Under Secretary of Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

On November 17, Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth held a meeting with his UAE counterpart Mohammed Mubarak Al Mazrouei on the sidelines of the Dubai Air Show 2025 as both countries underlined stronger engagement through institutional mechanisms, defence exhibitions and training cooperation.

“Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth held a bilateral meeting with his UAE counterpart Mohammed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, on the sidelines of the Dubai Air Show 2025. He underlined stronger engagement through institutional mechanisms, defence exhibitions, training cooperation and encouraged exploring joint research, co-development and co-production for deeper defence ties,” the Defence Ministry posted on X.

–IANS

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