India, UAE sign agreement on Middle East-Europe Corridor

By Ahmad Adil

NEW DELHI (AA) - India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed an inter-governmental framework agreement Tuesday on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, according to a statement by the Indian Foreign Ministry.

The agreement was signed along with several Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and agreements in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who held talks on Tuesday.

Modi is on a two-day visit to the UAE that will end Wednesday. Afterward, he will travel to Qatar for two days, said the ministry.

It added, the inter-governmental framework agreement “would build on previous understandings and cooperation on this matter and foster India and the UAE cooperation furthering regional connectivity.”

The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor -- a multinational railway and maritime project between India, the US, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, France, Germany, Italy and the EU, aims to connect India to the Middle East and Europe to enhance trade, provide energy resources and develop digital connectivity.

The two leaders held one-on-one and delegation-level talks on Tuesday where they reviewed the bilateral partnership and discussed new areas of cooperation, the ministry said in a statement.

It said the leaders welcomed the deepening of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership across sectors.

Modi wrote on X that he had an excellent meeting with bin Zayed and that the “India-UAE friendship is growing stronger and stronger, greatly benefiting the people of our nations.”