UAE agrees to joint Africa deal with India

The UAE will collaborate with India to launch joint aid projects in Africa.

Indian officials hailed the deal, which was signed during an official visit to the UAE by the country’s Foreign Minister, Sushma Swaraj, as significant.

The first step will be the establishment of an IT centre of excellence in Ethiopia, which will rely on Indian expertise and UAE funding.

The Emirates also played a crucial role in brokering Ethiopia’s November peace deal with Eritrea.

India’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that an agreement had been signed with the UAE. It will be just the second partnership India has agreed to with a third country in Africa, the other being with Japan.

A second deal on a currency swap, signed by the Governor of the UAE Central Bank, was also agreed to.

Indian government spokesman Raveesh Kumar said “exhaustive discussions” had taken place covering energy, security, trade and space exploration.

On her visit, Mrs Swaraj met Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces.

She spent much of her trip with Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation.

Mr Kumar said the visit had shown India’s “special relations” with the UAE.

Discussing Mrs Swaraj’s meeting with Sheikh Mohamed on Twitter, he said both “expressed satisfaction at the pace of our bilateral relations in a range of areas, attesting to our comprehensive strategic partnership”.

The 12th session of the UAE-India Joint Commission Meeting was also held in Abu Dhabi.

At the event, Sheikh Abdullah noted the UAE’s “strong historical ties” with India.

He said the close relations between the two countries were based on mutual respect, trust and aimed at enhancing the mutual benefit of the people of the two friendly nations, state news agency Wam reported.

Both countries also strengthened their resolve to combat extremism and terrorism in all its forms, regardless of the perpetrators or their intent.