Historic visit of Mohamed bin Zayed to India

Navdeep Singh Suri, Ambassador of India to the UAE, has taken charge at a time when India is working on a comprehensive strategic partnership with the UAE. "Hopefully, we will finalise this new and broad-ranging agreement during the visit to India of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, on January 26," said the diplomat in an exclusive interview with Khaleej Times.
This agreement opens the doors to new areas of cooperation. "We always talk about energy, security, about the Indian community and labour issues, but now we are talking about defence cooperation, collaboration between security agencies and a common fight against terrorism and radicalisation around the world. We are talking about translating into reality the commitment made by the UAE government to invest $75 billion in India's infrastructure."
The diplomat stressed that bilateral trade between India and the UAE is in the range of $58 billion. "India remains UAE's largest trading partner and the UAE is the third largest trading partner to India after China and the US. Beyond the trade, it is the depth of the relationship that is emerging today. It is the interest that we see from the UAE companies in investing in India. They see India as a long-term, stable destination. I always say that it is important to go beyond just trade."
Suri elaborated that the UAE has very strong capability in the development of logistics, whether it is ports, airports, highways or other sectors. "We hope that we can encourage some of the top companies in the UAE to either undertake investments or expand their investments in India, in real estate or petrochemicals, for example."
Suri's interactions with the UAE companies have been very positive. "In my conversations with major UAE companies, I see that they are very aware of the opportunities in India, which is natural by how close we are to each other, but there is also an expectation that as our reform process goes forward and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts to improve the Ease of Doing Business Rankings with India moves forward, India will not only be an attractive destination, but also become an easier destination for UAE companies. This is something that we are committed to working on."
The ambassador noted that Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed's visit to India is truly a milestone visit. "Every year India receives 30 or 40 heads of state or heads of governments. Over all, we have 90-plus high-level visitors to India each year but only one of them is chosen to be a chief guest for the Republic Day. This is an indication of the importance that India is giving to this relationship," Suri continued.
"The visit also sends a message to more than a billion Indians who are watching the Republic Day Parade that this visitor and country are very important to us. So apart from the fact that global eyes are on the event, there will be a focus on the 'Chief Guest of the Day'. The fact that we have Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed with us is significant," he said.
Beyond this, India and the UAE are in the process of finalising major agreements. "Once the announcements are made after January 26, this would truly be a milestone visit that has taken the relationship to the next level," noted the ambassador.
A contingent from the UAE Air Force is expected to participate at the Republic Day Parade. "It is a matter of great joy for us that they will be marching side by side with their Indian counterparts and that again is a very visual symbol of the closeness between the two countries," Suri added.
Speaking on his impressions of the UAE, he says, "I would like to go beyond the stereotypes of high-rise buildings of Dubai or the luxury and lifestyle in the UAE. I think what impressed me during my first few weeks here is the extent to which the government has been working on reforms on different parts of the economy and society. I am particularly enthused when I see some extremely young and capable Emirati women in very key parts of society whether I go to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, investment institutions, banking sector, or anywhere - I think that really stands out for me."
Suri is impressed with the remarkable focus on creating a Ministry for Happiness and Tolerance. ?"I think it is visionary thinking, particularly the importance of promoting religious tolerance at a time when we see so much conflict and so much rift in society. This is again an example of what makes the UAE so different from so many other countries around us."
Elaborating on tourism, he says, "There are very robust tourism flows in both directions. The Government of India has introduced the e-Tourist visa programme and that certainly makes it much easier for visitors to India, as it is widely accepted in all the major airports and several people are taking advantage of it. We certainly hope that India regains its past position as a preferred destination for our Emirati friends. Meanwhile, close to a million Indians come to the UAE every year. When you talk to Emirates airline or Etihad, you see that a large chunk of their business comes from India. The tourism sector is a very robust one and I am sure we can work to expand it further."
  suchitra@khaleejtimes.com
Message for Republic Day
This is a proud time to be an Indian because the country is very much the focus, not just as the fastest growing economy in the world and for the contribution we are making to the global economy, but also for the role it plays in fostering a rules-based international system; for working towards peace and stability, the contribution we make to UN peacekeeping operations and to the values that India brings to the global stage. I think that the Indian community can give a pat on the back to itself for being model citizens wherever they go. In my many conversations here in the UAE since I have arrived, it is amazing how many times people have told me about the kind of respect Indians have earned in society. They are often seen as preferred managers, engineers, doctors, blue-collar workers, etc. So I would like to say, keep up the great work that you are doing and remain proud to be Indians!
Diplomatic journey
Navdeep Singh Suri has been in the Indian Foreign Service for 34 years. He started his diplomatic career in Cairo where he learnt Arabic at the American University in Cairo. He then moved on to Damascus and then New Delhi at a time when the Economic Reform Programme had just started in 1991. He was in the Economic Division and closely involved in the efforts to project India's economic reforms abroad. Thereafter he moved to Washington DC where he worked on India's relationship with the US Congress. His next stint was in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where he was Deputy High Commissioner. Suri then moved to London as the Head of the Press Office, returned to New Delhi as Head of the Africa Division, moved to Johannesburg as India's Consul General and thereafter moved to India to head the Public Diplomacy Division. In 2012, Suri returned to Cairo, this time as Ambassador and then moved on to Australia as the High Commissioner of India and spent a year-and-a-half there.