Akbar to visit UAE next week

Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar will visit the UAE next week during which he will review with the top leadership there the entire gamut of bilateral ties, which were recently elevated to the strategic level.
During his visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from April 10-11, he will be meeting his counterparts and the top leadership there.
He will hold discussions covering the entire gamut of bilateral, regional and international matters of mutual interest, a Ministry of External Affairs release said.
Akbar will also address the annual Forum for the UAE's Ambassadors being held in Abu Dhabi.

His visit comes just months after Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was in India to be the Chief Guest at the Republic Day celebrations in January.
During that visit, India and the UAE signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement and over a dozen pacts in key areas like defence, security, trade and energy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asserted back then that cooperation stands poised for a "major take off".
Before the Crown Prince's January visit, Modi visited the UAE in August 2015. The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi had also visited India in February 2016.

The bilateral trade between the two countries amounts to around USD 50 billion. The UAE is India's third largest trading partner. For the UAE, India has been the largest trading partner.
The UAE is among the largest investors in India in terms of foreign direct investments. It contributes significantly to India's energy security and has been the fifth largest supplier of crude oil to India in 2015-16.
About 2.6 million strong Indian community forms the largest expatriate group in the UAE.
This visit will provide a useful opportunity to further cement our mutually beneficial bilateral ties with the UAE, the statement said.