India and UAE building lasting bridges of friendship and cooperation: Dubai Crown Prince

Dubai, April 10 (IANS) Extending his "heartfelt gratitude" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indian government and people of India, Crown Prince of Dubai Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said on Thursday that both countries are setting a benchmark for successful global partnerships.

The Crown Prince of Dubai, who is also the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), returned home earlier in the day after a successful two-day visit to India, his first official visit to the country.

"As I conclude my visit to India, I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as well as to government and people of India for their warm welcome and generous hospitality. The UAE and India share civilizational ties that span centuries. Today, we move forward in a spirit of partnership, working toward a brighter future that reflects our shared values and serves the mutual interests of our peoples," Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum posted on X Thursday evening.

"From Abu Dhabi to New Delhi, and Dubai to Mumbai, we are building lasting bridges of friendship and cooperation, guided by a common ambition and a bold vision that transcends borders, setting a benchmark for successful global partnerships," he added.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Modi hosted a working lunch for the Crown Prince at his Lok Kalyan Marg residence and conveyed his warm regards to the President of UAE, Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum. PM Modi also conveyed his good wishes to the new-born daughter of the Crown Prince Hind bint Hamdan, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated.

The Crown Prince of Dubai presented to Prime Minister Modi a replica of his grandfather Sheikh Rashid's 'bisht' - a traditional embroidered cloak worn over the Qandura by Arab men - symbolising the historic and generational political friendship between the two countries, during their meeting.

Both leaders discussed avenues to strengthen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and the UAE, and strong cultural and people-to-people ties between India and Dubai.

"Glad to meet HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai. Dubai has played a key role in advancing the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This special visit reaffirms our deep-rooted friendship and paves the way for even stronger collaboration in the future," PM Modi posted on X after the meeting.

The Crown Prince also held a meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, discussing ways to further strengthen the strategic defence and security partnership between the two countries in line with the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

"For India, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with the UAE is of immense priority. In the coming years, we are eager to work closely in areas such as defence cooperation, co-production and co-development projects, innovation and technology. Both India and the UAE are committed to work towards peace and prosperity in the region," Singh posted on X.

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, during his meeting with the visiting dignitary, highlighted the tremendous deepening and widening of the relationship across sectors between the two countries in recent years.

The Crown Prince presented an original newspaper coverage of the successful effort of his father, the Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum in saving passengers on board Indian Airlines Flight 421 in August 1984.

Later, he also met Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal during a high-level business meeting in Mumbai.

"They discussed the contribution of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in the rapid growth of bilateral trade. Goyal welcomed the signing of milestone MoUs and announcements made at the business event and expressed hope that these will further strengthen bilateral economic engagement and take it to unprecedented heights. In particular, the progress on the Virtual Trade Corridor (VTC), and its contribution in facilitating bilateral trade as well as, as a building block of IMEEC, was acknowledged," the MEA stated.

--IANS

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