India & UAE strengthen ties as Modi, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince hold talks
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held wide-ranging talks with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, focusing on strengthening overall strategic ties between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Crown Prince arrived in India on Sunday for the high-level discussions.
“A warm welcome for a close friend. PM @narendramodi received HH Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, at Hyderabad House,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on ‘X’. “Discussions on the entire spectrum of India-the United Arab Emirates bilateral relations and future areas of cooperation lie ahead,” he added.
The talks come at a time when bilateral relations between India and the UAE are on an upward trajectory. Since Prime Minister Modi’s landmark visit to the UAE in August 2015, ties between the two nations have been elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. This relationship has been further strengthened by the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in February 2022 and a Local Currency Settlement (LCS) System in July 2023, designed to promote the use of the Indian Rupee and UAE Dirham for cross-border transactions.
During the talks, India and the UAE signed four key agreements aimed at expanding energy cooperation. Notable among these are a long-term LNG supply agreement between Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Indian Oil Corporation Ltd, as well as another pact between ADNOC and India Strategic Petroleum Reserve Ltd (ISPRL). Additionally, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC) and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) for the operation and maintenance of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant.
Another agreement is a production concession for Abu Dhabi onshore block-one, signed between Urja Bharat and ADNOC. The Gujarat government also signed a pact with Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company PJSC to establish food parks in India.
“India-UAE ties are taking greater strides! PM @narendramodi met with HH Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi today,” Jaiswal said, noting that the leaders discussed ways to broaden the comprehensive strategic partnership to new and emerging areas.
Following the talks, Crown Prince Al Nahyan visited Rajghat to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.
