Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, vice president, prime minister and ruler of Dubai, Sunday received a message from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In his message, Modi thanked Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid and the UAE government for the efforts of the country's health authorities to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic, protect the entire community, reduce the spread of the virus, and implement necessary procedures, as well as to protect the Indian community and offer its members treatment services, which led to a significant decrease in infections among Indians and other communities. Sheikh Mohammed received the message while meeting with Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who is currently visiting the UAE. During the meeting, Sheikh Mohammed and Jaishankar exchanged their views on how to restore and stimulate the economies of the two countries and increase trade. Sheikh Mohammed stressed that the UAE is keen to combat and contain COVID-19 and limit its negative effects on all sectors, most notably tourism, trade, commerce and health, as well as ensure the gradual return to normalcy. Jaishankar commended the measures adopted by the UAE to combat the pandemic, which has made it among the leading countries that contained the virus and harnessed financial and human resources to help other countries in need of aid, especially medical supplies. The meeting was attended by Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, president of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group, Mohammad Bin Abdullah Al Gergawi, minister of cabinet affairs, Reem Bint Ibrahim Al Hashemy, minister of state for international cooperation, and Khalifa Saeed Soliman, director-general of the department of protocols and hospitality in Dubai. The meeting was also attended by Indian Ambassador to the UAE Pavan Kapoor and Indian Consul-General in Dubai Aman Puri. — WAM
