M J Akbar to embark on two-day UAE visit tomorrow

Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar will embark on a two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates tomorrow for the second round of the strategic dialogue between the two countries.
During the visit, he will be hold discussions with the UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr Anwar Gargash and would also meet other senior leaders.
In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the discussions would cover the entire gamut of bilateral, regional and international matters of mutual interest.
The first round of the India-UAE strategic dialogue was held here in January. The ties between the two countries are on an upswing.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited the UAE in August 2015 while Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan had come here in February last year as well as in January this year.
The volume of two-way annual trade between the two countries is around USD 53 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 top investors in India in terms of foreign direct investments. It contributes significantly to India's energy security and was the fifth-largest supplier of crude oil to India in 2016-17.

About 2.6 million-strong and vibrant 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," said the MEA.