Jaishankar calls on UAE PM, discusses post-Covid-19 economic cooperation

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on UAE's Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on Sunday and discussed with him the prospects for economic cooperation between India and the Gulf country in the post-Covid-19 era.

Jaishankar thanked Sheikh Mohammed for taking care of the Indian community and underlined that India had been a reliable partner to the UAE in all respects during this difficult period.

"Called on HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, VP & PM of UAE and the Ruler of Dubai. Handed over a personal communication from Prime Minister @narendramodi. Thanked him for taking care of the Indian community," Jaishankar tweeted.

"Underlined that India had been a reliable partner in all respects during this difficult period. Discussed prospects for our economic cooperation in the post-Covid era," he said in another tweet.

Underlined that India had been a reliable partner in all respects during this difficult period. Discussed prospects for our economic cooperation in the post- COVID era.

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) November 29, 2020

The External Affairs Minister visited the India pavilion at Expo 2020 site and reviewed the progress of the pavilion which promises to showcase India's strength in innovation and technology in addition to arts and culture.

He also addressed the Indian community of Dubai and Northern Emirates through a virtual meet on November 29 and expressed his appreciation to the community for the support to fellow Indians during the pandemic, the Indian Consulate in Dubai said in a tweet.

Earlier, Jaishankar visited Abu Dhabi on Wednesday night on the second leg of his six-day three-nation visit to Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Seychelles, which began on Tuesday. He left for Seychelles on November 27 from the UAE.

During his two-day visit to Abu Dhabi on November 25-26, he called on Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and held talks with his UAE counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He also virtually met the representatives of the Indian community associations in Abu Dhabi.

According to the website of the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi, the Indian expatriate community of approximately 30.4 lakh is reportedly the largest ethnic community in the UAE, constituting roughly about 30 per cent of the country's population.