Indian minister V Muraleedharan arrives in UAE, to focus on workers’ welfare

V Muraleedharan, Indian Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs, landed in Abu Dhabi on Monday night, as part of his three-day official visit to the UAE.

Muraleedharan was received by the Indian Ambassador to the UAE, Pavan Kapoor, at the Abu Dhabi International Airport. The minister will meet Indian community leaders to understand the issues faced by the expatriates and specially focus on the welfare of workers.

Minister of State for External & Parliamentary Affairs of India, Shri V. Muraleedharan @MOS_MEA arrived in Abu Dhabi on 18th Jan 2021. He was received by Ambassador Pavan Kapoor @AmbKapoor #IndiaUAEDosti pic.twitter.com/zdAv8PkXYC

— India in UAE (@IndembAbuDhabi) January 19, 2021

“During the visit he will be meeting UAE dignitaries and a broad cross-section of the Indian community in UAE. He will hold talks with the UAE side on various bilateral and international issues of mutual interest. There will be special focus in the visit on issues related to the Indian community, especially the welfare of Indian workers,” according to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

Muraleedharan’s last visit to the UAE was in October 2019, where he had participated in a ministerial-level meeting of the Abu Dhabi Dialogue (ADD) and a community function in Sharjah.

“India and the UAE have maintained close coordination in the spirit of their comprehensive strategic partnership during the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic,” the ministry added.

In November, 2020, Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had had also visited the UAE. An air bubble arrangement has been functioning successfully between both the countries owing to the viral outbreak since last year, when international flight services were partially restored.

Ashwani Kumar

I am a newspaperman from the emirate of Abu Dhabi. A journalist at heart. I get my stories from the streets. A south Indian born in the Hindi heartland, I easily connect with people from different nationalities and cultures. I am calm like a monk, sensitive and very patient reporter. On the ground, I cover a range of topics related to community, health, embassy, tourism, transport, business and sports. I will go out on a leg to do what’s right and stand by what I believe in.