Gujarat important, instrumental part of India-UAE economic relationship: Ambassador Abdulnasser Jamal Alshaali
Jan 10, 2024
Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India], January 10 : UAE Ambassador to India Abdulnasser Jamal Alshaali has said Gujarat is an important, instrumental part of the India-UAE economic relationship.
He said his visit to Gujarat has been a special one. "Gujarat is our number one trading partner, the UAE is the fourth largest investor in India. Gujarat is an important and instrumental part of this economic relationship."
He further said that India, Gujarat have exchanged four MoUs, three of them at the government level and one at the private level which serve as an example for businesses to explore their future in Gujarat and other states of India.
Meanwhile, Thailand Ambassador to India Pattarat Hongtong while speaking on the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, said being part of the summit this year as a partner country has been a great opportunity for Thailand to promote the economic relations between Thailand and India.
"Since we could outreach to Indian industrialists and also potential investors and also we have the Thai private sector coming here," Hongtong said.
Finnish Ambassador to India Kimmo Lahdevirta has said the Vibrant Gujarat Summit is "a very very impressive event considering that it is already being carried out for 20 years, and considering the level of participants, the scale of arrangements, everything is excellent and gives you many possibilities for connections."
He said: "I think it is a very key event in India. This time we have five Finnish companies representing different sectors, energy sectors, environment sector, workware, electric vehicle charging."
Meanwhile, PM Modi on Wednesday shared glimpses of the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, calling it a great forum to share perspectives on economic growth, reforms and strengthening India's development journey.
"Some glimpses from today's @VibrantGujarat Summit - a great forum to share perspectives on economic growth, reforms and strengthen our development journey," the PM wrote on 'X'.
Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra has called the ongoing Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in Gandhinagar the first one in the 'Amrit Kaal' period and said the summit has become synonymous with India's economic resurgence.
Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Kwatra said, "As the Chief Minister of the state mentioned in his speech earlier today, this is the first Vibrant Gujarat Summit in the 'Amrit Kaal' period".
"The presence of many heads of state and governments, the presence of many ministers of large numbers of partner countries at this 10th Vibrant Gujarat Summit is clearly indicative that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, Vibrant Gujarat has become synonymous with India's economic resurgence," he added.
The Foreign Secretary further said that 35 countries have joined this edition of Vibrant Gujarat as partner countries, which is the highest number of countries that we have had in a Vibrant Gujarat Summit.
Earlier on Wednesday, PM Modi while addressing the 10th edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit, said the world looks at India as an important pillar of stability.
The PM said that India believes in people-centric development and is a friend who can be trusted.
"The world looks at India as an important pillar of stability. A friend who can be trusted, a partner who believes in people-centric development, a voice that believes in global good, a voice of the Global South, an engine of growth in the global economy, a technology hub for finding solutions, a powerhouse of talented youth and a democracy that delivers..." PM Modi said.
The 10th edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit is being held from January 10-12 in Gandhinagar on the theme 'Gateway to the Future'.
There are a total of 34 partner countries and 16 partner organisations for this year's Summit, which is celebrating "20 Years of Vibrant Gujarat as the Summit of Success".
The Summit was started in 2003 under the leadership of PM Modi when he was the state chief minister.