Very impressed by S Jaishankar, says UAE minister

New Delhi: The UAE's Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence Omar Sultan Al Olama said he is impressed by India's foreign policy on the world stage and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

He was speaking virtually at a conference at a Delhi-based think tank.

Speaking about the geopolitical situation involving war, he said countries historically had to choose sides because the world was unipolar, bipolar, and tripolar. "I saw some of his (Jaishankar's) speeches and I was very impressed." He added that it is clear that both UAE and India need not choose sides.

He further said geopolitics is determined by the best interest of certain parties. "The model that existed historically is unfortunately no longer here. Today a country needs to think about its best interests." He clarified that it doesn't mean India cannot work with the US if it works with the UAE. "The three of us can work together. The I2U2 (India-Israel-UAE-USA) Group is a great example," reported ANI.

Olama also spoke of the importance of trade and investment. He said now is the time to dominate the world through commerce. "Countries like India and the UAE can work together to substantially increase their footprint across the world." He added there are ingrained roots between India and UAE along with multiple possible areas of cooperation, especially in collaboration between startups in both nations.