India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have agreed to expedite the conclusion of their proposed agreements on security cooperation, transfer of sentenced persons and mutual assistance on customs matters. This was decided at the India-UAE political consultations held on September 19 in Abu Dhabi between Secretary (East) in Ministry of External Affairs, Vijayalatha Reddy, and UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Anwar Mohammed Gargash, a MEA release said here Tuesday. Besides reviewing the current state of bilateral relations, the two countries also exchanged views on major regional and global issues, including the Middle East peace process, reform of the United Nations and reconstruction efforts in Afghanistan. "They noted that they had similarity of perceptions and agreed to have regular consultations," it was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India (PTI). Both sides expressed satisfaction at the friendly relations based on historic links and agreed to intensify high-level bilateral exchanges to consolidate the ties. In this context, the need for early convening of the Ministerial -level India-UAE Joint Commission meeting was underscored. The two sides also expressed satisfaction at the growth of trade and economic links, particularly that they had become the largest trading partners for each other. The discussions focused on UAE investments in the aviation, ports, telecommunications and oil and gas sectors. The Indian delegation proposed that the India-UAE Trade Policy Forum set up by the two countries to facilitate bilateral trade should be more active. It called for more investment from the UAE in India, especially in the infrastructure sector.
