Highlights of UAE, India ties and agreements

A chronological report published by 'Gulf News' today about the "landmark events that strengthened the historic ties between the UAE and India in the last 40 years."

August 16, 2015 Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, makes a two-day visit to the UAE. He holds talks with His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces and His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. UAE and India raise their partnership to a strategic level by setting up a UAE-India Infrastructure Investment Fund with a target of $75 billion (Dh275 billion) and establishing a mechanism for regular meetings between their security agencies to improve operational cooperation.

November 11, 2014 Sushma Swaraj, Indian External Affairs Minister makes three-day visit to the UAE, holds talks with UAE Foreign Affairs Minster Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

December 12, 2013 India and the UAE sign a crucial investment protection agreement in New Delhi, which is expected to result in the UAE investing $2 billion (Dh7.34 billion) in Indian infrastructure projects. The Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPPA) was signed after a meeting between UAE Foreign Minister Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid.

May 26, 2013 P. Chidambaram, Indian Finance Minister, visits UAE and held meetings with His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. They agreed in principle to start negotiation on Bilateral Investment Protection Agreement (BIPA) and conclude it at the earliest.

February 18, 2013 Minister of Commerce and Industry led an Indian delegation to the first High level Task Force on Investment in Abu Dhabi.

November 14, 2012 A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on labour signed between India and the UAE has helped solve many issues of Indian workers in the UAE, during the visit of Non-resident Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi to the UAE.

May 18, 2012 Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs visits India. India's External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan agree to set up a high-level joint task force to explore investment opportunities, including in the energy sector. India and UAE concurred on the need for both their countries to play a greater role in the fight against the scourge of piracy that has threatened global trade passing through the Gulf of Aden off Somalia.

April 16, 2012 India and the UAE sign agreements to amend the double taxation avoidance treaty that will pave the way for greater sharing of tax-related information.

April 04, 2012 India and UAE sign the protocol to streamline admission of Indian contract workers by way of an electronic contract registration and validation system.

June 27, 2011 Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs visits India. In the area of defence, UAE-India cooperation reached a new high with the first joint air exercise and the second India-UAE Joint Defence Cooperation Committee meeting.

November 22, 2011 India and UAE sign two major bilateral agreements for exchange of prisoners and security cooperation in New Delhi. Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the UAE and Minister of Interior sign the agreement.

November 21, 2010 Indian president Pratibha Patil makes a five-day official visit to the UAE. India and the UAE agree to work together in the fields of food security and developing cheaper methods for desalination of water.

March 11, 2010 His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, visits India. He met the Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and the two leaders discussed economic, political, regional and international issues and the best ways to enhance peace and stability, especially in flashpoint areas around the globe.

May 13, 2008 Pranab Mukherjee, then India's Minister of Foreign Affairs, visits the UAE. India has urged UAE and Gulf investors to take part in an estimated $500 billion worth of infrastructure projects the country will be launching in the coming few years to support a rapidly growing economy.

June 06, 2007 Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs meets Pranab Mukherjee, Indian Minister of External Affairs, at the end of the ninth meeting of UAE-India Joint Committee. Shaikh Abdullah and his Indian counterpart reviewed the bilateral relations between India and UAE and discussed ways of bolstering the relations especially in the fields of economy, trade, investment, culture and education.

March 25, 2007 His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, accompanied by senior cabinet colleagues and a high-level official and business delegation, paid a two-day state visit to India. This is his second official visit to India after a gap of 33 years.

December 2006 India and UAE sign an MoU in the field of Manpower sourcing.

October 18, 2003 President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, then Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, along with His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, then Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces received Indian President Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam who arrived on a three-day official visit to the UAE. They discussed ways of further bolstering relations to the benefit of the mutual interest of the two countries.

April 04, 2000 India and UAE sign Information Cooperation Agreement and Mutual Professional Cooperation during the visit of Shaikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE Minister for Information and Culture to India.

October 25, 1999 India and UAE sign Extradition Treaty in New Delhi along with two agreements on assistance in criminal matters and mutual legal assistance in civil and commercial matters.

January 07, 1994 India and UAE sign agreement to Combat Trafficking in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances along with economics, trade, health, water and electricity, planning, agriculture, consular affairs and judicial.

April 28, 1992 UAE President Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan makes a three-day state visit to India. He held meetings with Indian President R. Venkataraman and Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao. Both the countries discussed the possibilities of starting joint ventures and financial investment from the UAE and signed an agreement for the avoidance of double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and capital. It was also agreed that Indo-UAE ministerial-level joint commission will henceforth meet every six months, instead of annual meetings, to accelerate economic interaction.

May 27, 1982 His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, visits India, where he held a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

May 11, 1981 Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi makes a two-day visit to the UAE. She held meetings with UAE President Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Shaikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, then Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi.

November 1976 Indian president Dr. Fakhruddin Ali Ahmad makes historic visit to the UAE.

January, 1975 UAE President Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan visited India and held meeting with Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and signed a cultural agreement along with various other pacts.
Source :WAM