Setting Up IIT in UAE, Linking of Payment Platforms: India, UAE Hold 14th Joint Commission Meeting

Union minister for external affairs Dr. S Jaishankar met UAE foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Thursday for the 14th India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting (JCM).

A very productive meeting of the 14th India-UAE Joint Commission.Thank HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan for co-chairing it.

Assessed the significant progress made in multiple domains of cooperation. The Joint Vision of our leadership is being implemented expeditiously. pic.twitter.com/LfxfX7MWKL

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 1, 2022

During the joint meeting, both ministers reviewed the possibility of linking instant payment platforms in either country, such as through the United Payment Interface (UPI) of India.

The ministers reviewed the progress made on setting up an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in the UAE. It was also revealed that discussions moved forward with the establishment of a Joint Working Group between institutions on both sides.

During the meeting, Dr Jaishankar and Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan reiterated the commitment to achieving the goal of $100 billion of bilateral trade within 2027.

They also assessed the rising number of investments made by the UAE in India.

They also reviewed the progress made in various elements of bilateral cooperation identified in the Vision Statement adopted by the two leaders.

Both ministers also held discussions regarding renewable energy and Green Hydrogen. They also reviewed the ongoing discussions in areas of food security, healthcare and education cooperation including the I2U2 framework.

Earlier, teams from India and the UAE travelled to Kenya and Tanzania to identify opportunities for joint projects in the health sector.

The ministers signed two MoUs during the 14th India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting (JCM).

A MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) between Wildlife Institute of India and International Fund for Houbara Conservation for the Conservation of the Great Indian Bustard and the Lesser Florican was signed by both ministers.

Another MoU was signed between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of UAE and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) on the Establishment of the India-UAE Cultural Council Forum.

Both ministers expressed their happiness at the introduction of the landmark Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in May earlier this year and also lauded the growing closeness between India and UAE in various multilateral forums and international organisations, in particular in the UN Security Council in 2022, according to a press release by the Ministry of External Affairs.

They also noted that high-level political interactions between both sides have become regular, especially meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in February, June and July.

UAE minister of state for foreign trade Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi and Indian foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra joined both ministers along with senior officials from both sides.

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