He was speaking after inaugurating the office of the Consulate General of United Arab Emirates (UAE) at Manacaud here on Wednesday. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the opening of the consulate would go a long way in strengthening the time-tested bilateral relations between India and the UAE. “There is a strong bond of friendship between the two countries based on the age-old cultural, religious, and economic ties. This situation was set to change with the opening of the Consulate General office here. UAE Under Secretary Mohamed Alraissi hoisted the UAE national flag.

Source: The Hindu October 20, 2016 00:10 UTC