India, UAE to sign taxation, consular accords

New Delhi, April 14 (IANS) India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), home to over 1.75 million Indians, are set to sign agreements on double taxation and consular issues after the foreign ministers of the two countries hold talks in Abu Dhabi Sunday.

External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna began a three-day visit to the Gulf country Saturday.

Krishna will co-chair with his counterpart Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan the 10th Session of the India-UAE Joint Commission for Technical & Economic cooperation (JCM) in Abu Dhabi.

The two sides are expected to discuss an entire gamut of bilateral relations, including the intensification of economic and energy ties and defence cooperation.

"Some key agreements on double taxation and consular issues are to be signed during the visit," the external affairs ministry said here Saturday.

Krishna will also interact with heads of the Indian missions in the region at a conference in Abu Dhabi.

India's bilateral trade with the UAE 2011 is estimated to be over $67 billion. India and the UAE were each other's largest trade partners in 2010-2011.

The UAE has invested in India around $2 billion in areas ranging from energy, services and programming to construction and tourism. The UAE is the tenth biggest investor in India in terms of FDI.