PM Modi’s Leadership Fuels Momentum In India-UAE Relations: UAE Ambassador Abdulnasser Alshaali

UAE Ambassador to India, Abdulnasser Alshaali, emphasized the strengthening economic relationship between India and the UAE. He cited key initiatives like the UAE-India CEPA Council to promote bilateral trade and entrepreneurship.

Speaking to ANI, Ambassador Alshaali stated,”It’s quite important for us as UAE and CEPA Council doing business events and business roundtables across India.”

The UAE-India CEPA Council (UICC), launched on 10 January 2024, during the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, is a joint initiative by the UAE and Indian governments. According to its official website, the UICC aims to maximize the benefits of the UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which has been in effect since 1 May 2022.

“It makes a lot of sense that we engage with entrepreneurs, especially women entrepreneurs. Back in the UAE, we have 23,000 women managing USD 30 billion, and it’s not any less than that when it comes to India,” Ambassador Alshaali highlighted.

Praising the accomplishments of Indian women in the business sector, Abdulnasser Alshaali remarked, “You have women working in different sectors doing great stuff. They have implemented great ideas and turned into very successful businesses and it’s quite important that all of this work, those businesses are appreciated and that they are taken into consideration when we talk bilateral relationship, bilateral trade and expanding and enhancing the economic relationship between the two countries.”

Abdulnasser Alshaali Highlights Progress In India-UAE Relationship & Focus On SMEs

On the progress of India-UAE relations, Ambassador Alshaali noted, “It is going great, especially with the UAE CEPA Council, because that’s the main focus.”

“If we really want to see growth happening in terms of numbers, the focus on small and medium enterprises and on entrepreneurs is important and is tremendous in making that happen,” he further added.

Addressing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s contribution to India-UAE relations, Ambassador Alshaali said, “You have to think about the fact that PM Modi is very fond of the UAE and the country’s leadership, and that naturally does give whatever that we’re doing very high momentum in terms of what we do- the engagements, meetings, high-level visits that you see between the two countries.”

Concluding his remarks, the Ambassador described the India-UAE relationship as both historic and enduring, stating, “The UAE-India relationship is a historic one and it’s an ancient one”. He noted that the people-to-people relationship when it comes to aspects like culture and doing business together extends to hundreds of years ago. This will always be the case. We are very grateful that today there is a leader like PM Modi and Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who are driving this relationship even further.”

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