JOIN USNew Delhi on Friday hosted top diplomats from Arab countries even as External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj is set to leave for a three-day tour to Abu Dhabi early next week.
The Narendra Modi government is keen to deepen its ties with the Arab world.
Swaraj will have a meeting with United Arab Emirates’ foreign minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan during her first official visit to Abu Dhabi from November 10 to 12.
The Ministry of External Affairs stated that Swaraj and her UAE counterpart would discuss bilateral, regional and other issues of mutual interest.
India enjoys close and multifaceted comprehensive partnership with UAE, with a well-balanced bilateral trade that amounted to $ 59 billion in 2013-14.
The UAE was India’s largest trading partner in 2012-13. It is the 11th largest source of foreign direct investment to India. It is also the sixth largest supplier of crude oil to India.
Swaraj, who also heads the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, will also interact with the Indian community in UAE.
Nearly 26 lakh Indians constitute the largest expatriate group in the UAE.
Apart from meeting her counterpart in Abu Dhabi, Swaraj is also likely to call on the top leadership of the UAE.
New Delhi hosted the First Senior Officials Meeting of the India-Arab Cooperation Forum on Friday.