UAE supports Indian move in IHK

DUBAI: Most of Muslim countries are in the silent mode after the Indian government's move to scrap Article 370, Article 35A and bifurcate Indian Held Kashmir (IHK) into two union territories (UTs), but the United Arab Emirates (UAE) envoy to India Dr Ahmed Al Banna expressed hope that this decision of the Indian government would help improve the social and economic conditions and welfare of the people of Jammu and Kashmir as well as Ladakh, according to media reports.

“We expect that the changes would improve social justice and security and confidence of the people in the local governance and will encourage further stability and peace,” the UAE ambassador to India stated.

Dubai-based newspaper Gulf News quoted the UAE envoy to India as saying that the Indian decision related to IHK was an “internal matter” as stipulated by the Indian constitution. The UAE believes that the changes would improve social justice and security and confidence of the people in the local governance and will encourage further stability and peace.

In recent years, India and the UAE have come close and there has been an increase in the number of high-level visits between the two countries. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi first visited the UAE in August 2015 which was followed by the visit of the UAE Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in 2016. In 2017, Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was the chief guest at Indian Republic Day parade and again, in 2018, Narendra Modi visited the country and was the chief guest at the sixth World Government Summit in Dubai. In 2019, UAE awarded its highest civilian award, The Zayed Medal to PM Modi.