Indian missions in UAE celebrate Independence Day

Our Correspondent

Indians in the UAE marked the 74th Independence Day on August 15 with both the Embassy in Abu Dhabi and the Consulate in Dubai unfurling the tricolour. Owing to social distancing norms, only embassy personnel could attend the ceremony. The entire proceedings were instead live streamed on the embassy’s social media platforms.

Indian Ambassador to the UAE Pavan Kapoor unfurled the Indian national flag at the Embassy. A moment of silence was observed in memory of the victims of the Dubai-Kozhikode Air India Express crash.

The Ambassador acknowledged the contributions of the embassy staff, community leaders and members and associations in the COVID-19 fight and the smooth conduct of the Vande Bharat Mission. He noted that 325,000 Indians had gone back in just over three months and thanked the UAE government and he health authorities for their support.

“We are at a stage where we have got an air bubble with the UAE and air tickets can be booked by anyone who is wanting to return,” Kapoor said. “Now with the air bubble, the two-way traffic has opened up. So many more Indians with valid visas for the UAE can come back. So we are moving to a stage of slightly greater normality.”

He said that 25,000 UAE residents stuck in India were bought back between July 12 and 25.

“We coordinated and cooperated very well with the UAE government during the pandemic. We sent them medicines and almost 400 health workers and doctors. We also got help from them in the form of masks, PPEs and medical assistance. So we have kept this interaction going through cooperation in the health sector.”

He noted the leadership of both the countries are in touch with each other. “There is a very active bilateral engagement this week. On Monday, the two foreign ministers will be having a formal meeting.”

He noted that the IPL will bring new ways of bilateral cooperation. “We are hopefully going to see some exchange in the sporting sector with the IPL coming to the UAE. So we are looking at new ways in which we can cooperate with the UAE as we take along our bilateral agenda.”

In Dubai, the Consul General Dr Aman Puri unfurled the national flag and read out the President’s Address to the nation on the eve of Independence Day. Cultural performances followed from Guru Nitrsh Saraswati from Nritynjali and singer Suraj Bharti.