New Delhi [India], July 20 (ANI): Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal held a meeting with United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of Economy and Tourism Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri and the accompanying delegation, with discussions focused on further strengthening bilateral cooperation across trade, investment, tourism and connectivity.

Sharing details of the meeting in a post on social media platform X, Goyal said the two sides discussed avenues to deepen the India-UAE partnership while reaffirming their commitment to creating new opportunities for businesses and strengthening economic ties.

'Had a productive meeting with Mr. Abdulla bin Touq Al Marri, Minister of Economy and Tourism of the United Arab Emirates, along with the accompanying delegation,' Goyal said.

'We discussed avenues to further strengthen the India-UAE partnership across trade, investment, tourism and connectivity, while reaffirming our shared commitment to unlocking new opportunities for businesses, enhancing people-to-people ties and advancing our strategic economic partnership,' he said

The meeting comes as India and the UAE continue to expand their economic partnership across several sectors, with bilateral trade, investment flows and business-to-business engagement forming key pillars of the relationship.

The UAE is among India's important trading and investment partners in the Gulf region. Cooperation between the two countries has expanded beyond traditional areas of trade to include logistics, infrastructure, technology, financial services, energy, manufacturing and tourism.

The two sides have also been working to improve connectivity and facilitate greater movement of people, goods and capital. Enhanced cooperation in tourism is expected to further strengthen people-to-people ties and support the services sector.

Goyal's meeting with Al Marri assumes significance as India and the UAE seek to build on the momentum in their strategic economic partnership and identify new avenues for private sector collaboration.

The discussions are expected to support efforts to facilitate business opportunities, encourage investment and deepen cooperation in areas that can contribute to economic growth in both countries.

The meeting also reaffirmed the shared focus on expanding the partnership beyond existing areas of cooperation and unlocking new opportunities for businesses, while strengthening the broader strategic relationship between India and the UAE. (ANI)