News Delhi (India), 4 February: Relations between India and the UAE have also evolved over the years. On Saturday, India, France and the United Arab Emirates took this relationship into a new level by unveiling an ambitious roadmap for cooperation in a plethora of areas including defence, energy and technology under a trilateral framework, a move that comes amid the geopolitical turmoil triggered by the conflict in Ukraine.
The plan was finalised during a phone conversation among External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, his French counterpart Catherine Colonna and UAE’s Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
However, the number of high-level engagements between these countries is a testament to the deepening ties between the three countries.
“During this call, the three sides agreed that the trilateral initiative will serve as a forum to promote the design and execution of cooperation projects in the fields of energy, with a focus on solar and nuclear energy, as well as in the fight against climate change and the protection of biodiversity, particularly in the Indian Ocean region,” a joint statement by three nations said.
A joint statement also said that it was acknowledged that defence is an area of close cooperation between the three countries.
“Therefore, efforts will be undertaken to further promote compatibility, and joint development and co-production, whilst seeking out avenues for further collaboration and training between the three countries’ defence forces,” it said.
India, France and the UAE also agreed to boost cooperation in food security and circular economy and vowed to focus on key issues such as single-use plastic pollution and desertification.
The trilateral initiative will serve as a platform to expand cooperation between the development agencies of the three counties on sustainable projects besides ensuring greater alignment of their respective economic, technological, and social policies with the objectives of the Paris climate agreement, according to the statement.
There has been an upswing in India’s bilateral engagement with France as well as the UAE.
The three foreign ministers met on September 19 last year for the first time in a trilateral format on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York.
At that time, among the prominent issues of discussion were deepening cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, with an emphasis on maritime security, regional infrastructure and connectivity, energy and food security as well as supply chain resilience.
In support of the endeavours after latest discussion, a range of trilateral events will be organised in the framework of the Indian Presidency of the G20 and the UAE’s hosting of COP-28 in 2023, respectively.
The three countries also agreed to expand their cooperation through initiatives such as the Mangrove Alliance for Climate led by the UAE and the Indo-Pacific Parks Partnership led by India and France.
#India, #France and the #UAE on Saturday announced a formal trilateral cooperation initiative in the areas of #defence, #nuclear #energy and #technology. Read full story at #wnn. @AfricaWnn pic.twitter.com/8nyWgApfaw
— Dr. Shahid Siddiqui (@shahidsiddiqui) February 5, 2023
It was agreed that the three countries should seek to focus on key issues such as single-use plastic pollution, desertification, and food security in the context of the International Year of Millets-2023.
-Dr. M Shahid Siddiqui (PhD), Follow via Twitter @shahidsiddiqui
