Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a bilateral meeting, and several Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were exchanged in their presence here on Tuesday.
“Brother, firstly, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to you for your warm welcome. We have met five times in the last seven months, which is very rare. I have also got the opportunity to come here seven times… the way we have progressed in every field, there is a joint partnership between India and UAE in every field,” said PM Modi in the meeting with the UAE President.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra were among the Indian delegations present in the meeting.
Earlier, upon his arrival at airport, PM Modi was welcomed by UAE President Al Nahyan. The two leaders shook hands and hugged each other.
“Immensely grateful to my brother, HH @MohamedBinZayed, for taking the time to receive me at Abu Dhabi airport. I look forward to a productive visit which will further strength the friendship between India and UAE,” said PM Modi in a post on X.
Immensely grateful to my brother, HH @MohamedBinZayed, for taking the time to receive me at Abu Dhabi airport.
I look forward to a productive visit which will further strength the friendship between India and UAE. 🇮🇳 🇦🇪 pic.twitter.com/OWQivfszI2
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 13, 2024
PM Modi also received a guard of honour.
Ahead of his departure, the prime minister took to social media plaform X to post that he is looking forward to meeting with his “brother” the President of UAE with whom he shares a good rapport.
Prime Minister Modi posted on X, “Eager to meet my brother, @MohamedBinZayed. Over the next two days, I will be visiting UAE and Qatar to attend various programmes, which will deepen India’s bilateral relations with these nations.”
Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal took to X, emphasising that PM Modi’s first leg of the visit in the UAE will entail engagements with UAE leadership and community members, and the inauguration of BAPS Hindu Temple in Abu Dhabi.
“Wheels up! PM @narendramodiembarks on a two-country visit to the UAE & Qatar. The first leg of the visit in the UAE entails engagements with UAE leadership & community members, inauguration of @AbuDhabiMandir, and participation as the Guest of Honour at @WorldGovSummit in Dubai,” he stated.
This visit also marks the third by the PM to the Gulf country in the past eight months, as per a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs Minister.
Apart from meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, PM Modi will also attend the World Government Summit 2024, where he will deliver a special keynote address.
“My discussions with Prime Minister His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid on the margins of Summit will focus on strengthening our multifaceted ties with Dubai,” the Prime Minister said in a statement ahead of his departure.
He will also inaugurate the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi. “The BAPS temple will be an enduring tribute to the values of harmony, peace and tolerance, which both India and the UAE share,” the PM said.
The Prime Minister will address the Indian diaspora in Abu Dhabi at the Zayed Sports City Stadium later on Tuesday.
The ‘Ahlan Modi’ or ‘Hello Modi’ event, organized by the Indian community in Abu Dhabi, has gathered unprecedented attention, with over 65,000 registrations received, reflecting the overwhelming response from the Indian expatriate community.
PM Modi will be in the UAE from February 13-14 after which he will proceed to Doha.
