India-UAE Strategic Partnerships
India and the UAE have signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to finalize a Strategic Defence Partnership, signaling increased strategic alignment amid geopolitical changes in West Asia and the Persian Gulf.
Strategic Defence Partnership Framework
- Enhance cooperation in:
- Defence industrial collaboration
- Innovation and advanced technologies
- Training and education
- Doctrine development
- Special operations and interoperability
- Cyberspace and counter-terrorism
- The agreement builds on existing India-UAE defence ties and gains significance amidst Saudi Arabia-Pakistan defence agreements and Saudi-UAE tensions in Yemen.
Economic and Trade Cooperation
- Signed LoI on Investment Cooperation for Dholera Special Investment Region in Gujarat.
- Agreed to double bilateral trade to $200 billion by 2032.
- Plans to expand civil nuclear cooperation and increase LNG imports from the UAE.
Infrastructure and Technology Development
- UAE investment in infrastructure projects at Dholera including:
- International airport and pilot training school
- Maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility
- Greenfield port and smart urban township
- Railway connectivity and energy infrastructure
- Exploration of advanced nuclear technologies like Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).
- Collaboration in science, technology, and innovation with a focus on artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
- Plan to set up a supercomputing cluster in India with C-DAC and UAE-based G42.
Security and Terrorism
- Reaffirmation of respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and strategic autonomy.
- Condemnation of terrorism, particularly cross-border terrorism, with a message aimed at Pakistan.
- Strengthening of cooperation under the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) framework to curb terror financing and enhance anti-money laundering efforts.
Other Initiatives
- Exploration of setting up Digital Embassies under mutually recognized sovereignty frameworks.
- Fast-tracking MSME connectivity through initiatives like Bharat Mart, Virtual Trade Corridor, and Bharat-Africa Setu to expand market access in West Asia, Africa, and Eurasia.
