New Delhi: The UAE on Sunday pledged its full support to India in combating terrorism, as it aims at boosting bilateral defence and security ties and signing a strategic cooperation agreement during the three-day visit to India of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, beginning on January 24.
As many as 16 agreements will be signed between the two countries after the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shaikh Mohammad on January 25, UAE Ambassador Ahmad Al Banna said in an interview in New Delhi.
Shaikh Mohammad will be the chief guest at this year’s Republic Day parade on January 26.
“We support Indian government in its efforts to fight terrorism and extremism all over the world ,” the UAE ambassador said.
He was asked about the decisions taken by the two countries during Modi’s visit to UAE in 2015 on working together to control, regulate and share information on flow of funds that could have a bearing on radicalisation activities, cooperate in interdicting illegal flows and act against concerned individuals and organisations.
Asserting that his country was among the first to condemn the terror strike on Indian airbase in Pathankot, Al Banna said the UAE had also supported the surgical strikes carried out by India.
“When the bombing of the airbase took place, we were the first one to condemn it. The UAE was among the first countries which supported Indian surgical strikes and we support India’s efforts to fight and respond to attacks terrorists and extremists,” he said.
The UAE ambassador also said the national security advisers of the UAE and India have been holding consultations regularly.
After the first Strategic Dialogue on January 20, the UAE side, led by Dr Anwar Mohammad Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, held a meeting with Ajit Doval, India’s National Security Adviser, he added.
Asked about the role UAE, which is seen as a “key interlocutor” by India, could play in conveying Indian concerns to Pakistan over terrorism emanating from there, Al Banna said: “We listen to them (Indian authorities). We coordinate with them and will be more than willing whenever we are asked by the Indian side to assist or interfere or take any action for betterment of our relationship”.
He also said that they would work closely with India in Afghanistan where five UAE diplomats were killed earlier this month in a terror attack.
Noting that investigations were still on to find out those responsible for the attack, he said, “we will take our revenge (once we know the culprits).”
Al Banna also pitched for closer collaboration between the two countries in dealing with terror groups like Daesh.
