UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram to boost ties

Thiruvananthapuram: In a boost to the Kerala-UAE relations,  a consulate of UAE was  opened here on Wednesday. Apart from ensuring fast visa and attestation services, the general consulate is expected to enhance the tie-up between Kerala and UAE in  sectors like tourism, health, education and industry. It is the third UAE diplomatic mission in India after the embassy in New Delhi and consulate in Mumbai. The new consulate will cater to the people in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

Apart from visa,  other functions,  including attestation, legal, commercial, medical and cultural services would be  initiated by the consulate. Now the people of the south  have to get these services either from the UAE embassy in Delhi or the Mumbai consulate. Up to 700 visa applications could be processed at the centre daily.  It has been equipped with advanced technology to process visa applications within 24 hours.

For the convenience of the local people, those familiar  with regional languages are posted at the front office counters. Governor P. Sathasivam and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan,  who spoke, lauded the UAE decision to open a general consulate in Kerala. The Governor suggested that Kerala should explore more tie-ups in sectors like tourism and higher education. Mr. Vijayan said there was scope for a tie-up in the IT sector between Kerala and UAE.