Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Abu Dhabi on the first leg of a six-day tour covering the UAE and Europe. He was received by UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan at the Presidential Airport and accorded a ceremonial welcome – with UAE F-16 fighter jets escorting his aircraft as it entered Emirati airspace.
Prime Minister Modi has since met President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, with energy cooperation and bilateral trade high on the agenda. The talks took place amid global supply disruptions linked to the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
In his opening remarks, Prime Minister Modi strongly condemned recent attacks on the UAE, describing them as completely unacceptable.
Addressing President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed as brother, he praised the resilience shown by the UAE leadership during challenging times, reaffirmed India’s support for the Emirates, and said dialogue and diplomacy remain the only path forward in the current period of global conflict.
Akashvani correspondent reports that the talks have already yielded concrete outcomes.
The two sides signed a framework agreement for a strategic defence partnership – a significant step that institutionalises security cooperation between the two countries.
A memorandum of understanding on strategic petroleum reserves was also concluded, alongside a separate agreement on liquefied petroleum gas supplies – moves that directly address India’s energy security concerns amid ongoing West Asia tensions.
The two countries further signed an MoU to establish a ship repair cluster at Vadinar on India’s western coast. On the investment front, the UAE announced commitments worth five billion US dollars into Indian infrastructure, RBL Bank and Samman Capital.
Prime Minister Modi also noted that the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between India and the UAE continues to grow stronger across multiple sectors.
