UAE Minister hails India's measures to control coronavirus spread
Wam/Abu Dhabi
Filed on
April 24, 2020
(Wam)
Sheikh Abdullah, Indian Minister of External Affairs review global fight against Covid-19.
His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, has re-affimred the UAE's determination to foster the long-standing partnership ties between UAE and India in various fields.
This came in a phone call with Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India, wherein the two top diplomats
reviewed the global fight against coronavirus Covid-19 with special emphasis on Asia and the two nations' efforts to combat the virus.
T
hey agreed on the importance of accelerating coronavirus containment efforts and to resume flights between the two friendly countries the soonest possible, with Sheikh Abdullah hailing the precautionary measures taken by India to bring the infection under control.
"The economic and trade relations between the UAE and India are steadily growing and have not been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic thanks to the continued coordination between the two friendly nations regarding the crisis.
The Indian minister underscored the importance of continuing the cooperation between India and UAE under the current testing times to dampen the repercussions of the endemic, saying that India will work to establish an open trade market with all its partners.
He lauded the effective precautionary measures taken by the UAE to contain the spread of Covid-19.
Khaleej Times
Coronavirus: UAE gets 5.5 million hydroxychloroquine pills from India
In this Thursday, April 9, 2020 file photo, a chemist displays hydroxychloroquine tablets in New Delhi, India. (AP)
The United Arab Emirates’ embassy in New Delhi said on Saturday it succeeded in obtaining the approval of the Indian government to export adequate quantities of hydroxychloroquine to the UAE to be used in treating coronavirus patients.
“The first shipment of medicine, currently on its way to the UAE, includes 5.5 million pills for treatment of patients with COVID-19. We highly appreciate the cooperation of the Indian government in facilitating the procedures for obtaining the necessary approvals.”
- Tuqa Khalid, Al Arabiya EnglishSaturday 18 April 2020
Coronavirus: UAE has offered to fly stranded Indians: Ambassador to India
Published: April 11, 2020 12:39
Dubai: The UAE has offered to fly stranded Indians and citizens of other countries, who wish to be repatriated, if they test negative for COVID-19, the UAE’s Ambassador to India Dr Ahmed Abdul Rahman Al Banna told Gulf News on Saturday.
Speaking over phone, the envoy said the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MOFAIC) had sent out a “note verbale” in this regard to the embassies of all the countries in the UAE during the past couple of weeks.
UAE Ambassador to India Dr Ahmad Abdul Rahman Al BannaImage Credit: Supplied
“We have sent the note verbale and all the embassies have been informed including the Indian embassy in the UAE and even the Ministry of External Affairs in India,” Al Banna said.
According to him, the UAE has offered to test those who want to be evacuated.
“We are assuring everybody that we have the best of the facilities, the best of the testing centres and we have tested more than 500,000 people.”
“We are assuring them also of our cooperation to fly those who got stranded in the UAE for some reasons. Some got stuck because of the lockdown and closure of airports in India. Some were visiting the UAE.”
“We are offering our system and making sure that they are good [to fly] by doing all the tests and transport them according to the request of their own government.”
The envoy said those who test positive for COVID-19 will remain in the UAE.
“They will be treated in our home facilities.”
GULFNEWS
He said the UAE has not received any official response from India so far.
“I have seen the minister’s comments in the media. But nothing has come officially to us until now,” he said, referring to the remarks made by India’s Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan.
Elderly citizens, pregnant women and those requiring treatment back home will be given priority, he said.
The Ministry of External Affairs intends to request the Civil Aviation Ministry to take the necessary steps for the repatriation services, he said.
Muraleedharan urged overseas Indians to stay put wherever they are and follow the directives of the local governments for their own safety.
He urged Indians from Gulf countries not to worry about visa expiries as the local governments have already relaxed visa rules and announced exemption of fines.
He added that the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had talked to the leaders in the Gulf countries who assured him of the safety of Indian citizens in their countries.
GULFNEWS