New Delhi [India], November 2 (ANI): India and the United Arab Emirates are taking decisive steps to scale up bilateral economic engagement and deepen cultural integration, focusing on enhancing direct investment flows and advancing key initiatives such as the proposed 'House of India' project in Abu Dhabi. 

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Monday that the commitments follow wide-ranging high-level discussions in Abu Dhabi between Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and senior leadership of the UAE, during the former's official visit to the country, aimed at reviewing the progress of the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and identifying new avenues for long-term collaboration.

Economic cooperation formed a centrepiece of the discussions, with both sides focusing on creating durable financial partnerships to benefit both economies.

During talks with Jassem Mohamed Bu Ataba Al Zaabi, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Finance and Managing Director and Group CEO of L'IMAD Holding Company, discussions centred on 'prospects for scaling up economic engagement, with a view to enhancing investment flows and building long-term commercial partnerships,' according to the MEA. 

Cultural and people-to-people connections were also placed front and centre during consultations with Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism.

The meeting provided a key opportunity to 'explore closer institutional linkages and fresh avenues for cooperation in cultural and creative exchanges including House of India, as well as tourism, which continues to bring the peoples of the two countries closer,' the MEA noted.

Foreign Secretary Misri also reviewed the broader strategic partnership across multiple sectors with Reem Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation and Special Envoy for India of the UAE, where both sides exchanged perspectives on major regional and global developments. 

'The visit underscored the mutual trust and strategic convergence that underpin India-UAE ties, and the shared resolve of both sides to impart further momentum to the partnership in the period ahead,' the MEA stated, highlighting the regular high-level engagement that characterises the bilateral relationship.

Highlighting Misri's engagements in the UAE, the Indian Embassy in the UAE wrote in a post on X, 'Foreign Secretary Shri @VikramMisri met UAE Minister of State and Special Envoy to India, HE Reem Al Hashimy. They reviewed the entire gamut of India-UAE bilateral relations and discussed ways to further deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. They also exchanged views on the situation in West Asia and global issues of mutual interest.'

In a separate post, the Embassy reflected on the Foreign Secretary's meeting with the Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi and Chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Finance and CEO.

'Foreign Secretary @VikramMisri met with HE Mohammed Al Mubarak, Chairman of @dctabudhabi, Abu Dhabi. They discussed opportunities to strengthen cooperation in the fields of culture, tourism and people-to-people exchanges,' the post read.

'Foreign Secretary @VikramMisri met with HE Jassem Al Zaabi, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Finance and CEO, L'imad. They exchanged views on avenues for enhanced cooperation and explored potential areas to strengthen investment ties,' the Embassy wrote in another post. 

The meeting comes amid sustained high-level diplomatic engagements between New Delhi and Abu Dhabi, reflecting the continued momentum in bilateral ties. (ANI)