Zillar Barta Desk,New York: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar participated in the India-UAE-France trilateral ministerial meeting held on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on September 22.
The meeting brought together Jaishankar, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot, and UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The three countries reviewed progress in their trilateral cooperation and discussed ways to further strengthen collaboration.
The discussions covered several areas of mutual interest, including space, artificial intelligence, culture and heritage. The ministers also exchanged views on developments in West Asia and underlined the importance of continued cooperation on regional and international issues.
Jaishankar said the three countries discussed opportunities arising from their shared interests and complementary capabilities. He added that the sides agreed to continue their engagement and meet regularly to review progress and take forward various initiatives.
The India-UAE-France trilateral has emerged as an important platform for cooperation among the three countries. The Ministry of External Affairs has identified the grouping, also referred to as the UFI Trilateral, as part of India's wider plurilateral and multilateral engagement.
The latest meeting in New York comes as the three countries seek to expand practical cooperation in emerging technologies, connectivity, culture and other areas while maintaining dialogue on developments in the wider West Asian region.
The ministers reaffirmed their commitment to developing constructive and mutually beneficial cooperation through concrete initiatives and agreed to maintain regular consultations to monitor progress.
