Indore, Nov 28 (PTI) The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has applied for an observer status to the Eurasian Group (EAG) and its plea will be decided at the ongoing 41st plenary meeting of the organisation in Indore, a senior government official said on Thursday.
India is one of the nine members of the EAG which works on combating money laundering and terror financing.
The 41st plenary meeting of EAG, which began here on Monday, will conclude on November 29.
"The UAE has sought observer status from the EAG. Its application will be decided at the ongoing plenary meeting of the EAG," Vivek Aggarwal, Additional Secretary of the Department of Revenue, told reporters after the inaugural ceremony of the EAG plenary session.
India has already agreed to UAE's request to become an observer for the EAG, he said.
Aggarwal is attending the EAG meeting as the Head of the Indian Delegation (HOD).
"The UAE is currently a member of the Middle East Group (Middle East and North Africa Financial Action Task Force). But due to common interests, it now wants to work actively in the EAG as well," he said.
The 41st EAG plenary session was inaugurated on Thursday by Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary and Governor of Madhya Pradesh Mangubhai Patel in Indore. EAG Chairman Yuri Chikhanchin and India's Revenue Secretary Sanjay Malhotra were also present on the occasion.
The EAG comprises Belarus, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan along with India. Italy, the United States, Japan, Germany and France are among the 16 countries that have observer status.
About 200 foreign and 60 Indian delegates are taking part in the EAG meeting. These include officials from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Asian Development Bank (ADB) and other organisations.