New Delhi: India and the UAE on Wednesday signed 14 pacts in key areas like defence, security, trade and energy, apart from a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi declaring that cooperation stands poised for a “major takeoff”. However, the much-anticipated pact on the $75 billion investment fund, committed by the UAE, was not among the pacts signed after the talks between Mr Modi and Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. But Indian government sources said the two sides were working on signing an agreement soon in this regard.
“I particularly welcome the UAE’s interest in investing in India’s infrastructure sector. We are working to connect institutional investors in the UAE with our National Investment and Infrastr-ucture Fund,” Modi said.
On the “Agreement on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership” between the two countries, the external affairs ministry said: “This is a general framework agreement that highlights the areas of bilateral cooperation identified under the comprehensive strategic partnership as agreed upon in the high-level joint statements issued in August 2015 and February 2016.”
On the MoU between India’s defence ministry and the UAE MoD on defence industry cooperation, the MEA said: “This MoU aims to establish cooperation in the identified fields of defence manufacturing and technology, including studies, research, development, innovation and cooperation between public and private sector institutions of the two countries.
Arabic goof-up
An embarrassing situation developed during the media briefing at Hyderabad House in New Delhi when there was no Arabic to English translation of the address of visiting Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed al Nahyan, which meant that those who did not understand Arabic including PM Modi and top MEA officials had no clue what the UAE leader was saying.
