By BASHIR ADEFAKA and agency reports
The planned Prime of Minister of India, Narendra Modi’s official visit to the United Arab Emirate (UAE) started Saturday morning as the Asian country’s leader arrived in Abu Dhabi, the host capital.
The arrival of PM Modi marked the start of his official visit to the UAE according to an international media source.
Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, welcomed Modi and his accompanying delegation.
The two “engaged in warm conversation about the historical ties between the two countries and their people, and praised the level of joint strategic cooperation between the two nations across multiple vital sectors,” according to state news agency WAM.
In a tweet by the Indian PM after his arrival, he confirmed that he “Landed in Abu Dhabi.” He added that “I look forward to the deliberations with HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, which will further deepen India-UAE cooperation.”
The DEFENDER had earlier reported that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was visiting the oil-rich United Arab Emirates (UAE) this Saturday as the countries look forward to boosting economic cooperation in the energy and infrastructure sectors.
On his arrival this morning, the PM is slated to meet with the UAE President and the Ruler of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, along with other senior leaders. This is Modi’s fifth trip to the nation since he was elected in 2014.
Discussions are likely to center on cooperation on global issues, considering that India holds this year’s G20 presidency and will be hosting the upcoming summit in September, where the UAE is New Delhi’s special invitee, while the UAE holds the rotating presidency of the UN Climate Change Conference, which will be held in Dubai from November 30 to December 12. Talks are also likely to focus on infrastructure projects in the Middle East, as India and the UAE along with the US and Saudi Arabia are planning to jointly develop a comprehensive rail network in the region.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra told a media briefing on Wednesday that “The India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has been steadily strengthening and the visit will be an opportunity to identify ways to take this forward in various domains such as energy, education, healthcare, food security, fintech, defense and culture.”
