New Delhi, Jan 19 (.) India and the UAE today inked a slew of agreements, including in defence partnership, space cooperation, partnership in food security and AI, a 10-year agreement on LNG supply and to double bilateral trade to USD 100 billion by 2032, during the three-hour visit of UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed to Delhi and his talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The sudden visit of the UAE President to India, which was announced on Sunday evening, comes amid its worsening relations with Saudi Arabia, over each country seeking hegemony in southern Yemen and by extension over the Red Sea corridor and the vital Bab el-Mandab strait. Saudi Arabia has formed a clique of countries including Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt and Qatar, that are ranged against the UAE, and the UAE President’s India visit and the strengthening of relations with India will be viewed with immense interest by the region.
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed arrived in New Delhi at a little past four in the evening, and was scheduled to be in Delhi for two hours, but the talks got extended and the visit lasted for around three and a half hours.
In a special gesture and to emphasise their close ties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi received the UAE President at the Palam airbase, where he was given a red carpet welcome. The two leaders shook hands and exchanged a warm, close hug, like old friends, and travelled together in the same car, with pictures of both holding each other’s hands and chatting animatedly – in what is being touted as part of “car diplomacy”.
The PM posted in a tweet that he went to the airport to welcome “my brother, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE”. “His visit illustrates the importance he attaches to a strong India-UAE friendship. Looking forward to our discussions.”
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, briefing the media, termed it a “short, but extremely substantive visit”. He said that the PM’s welcoming the UAE President at the airport was “characteristic of the extremely warm and close relations” the two leaders share.
The talks between the two were held at the Prime Minister’s official residence in both restricted and expanded format. The UAE President was accompanied by a very high level delegation, comprising of members of the royal families of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and several senior officials, in an indication of the importance of the visit.
Among the list of outcomes of the visit, is a Letter of Intent towards concluding a Strategic Defence Partnership.
The Foreign Secretary, to a question on whether it was directed at any country, in the backdrop of Riyadh and Islamabad having concluded a defence pact a few months ago, clarified that the India-UAE partnership is not to be seen in that light, and that the two nations have a long standing cooperation in defence. He added that the two nations would be exploring the field of cooperation in defence manufacturing.
They also signed a Letter of Intent for deepening cooperation in the space sector, including through joint initiative in space missions, and its commercialisation, and both are also looking to set up new launch complexes and space training centres.
They also signed a Letter of Intent for UAE’s participation in setting up a Special Investment Region in Dholera, Gujarat, where they will look to establishing an international airport, a port, and railway connectivity, and MRO facility, a township, and energy infrastructure.
The two sides also inked a 10-year LNG Supply Agreement between Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and ADNOC Gas for the supply of 0.5 million tonnes per year of liquefied natural gas, from 2028.
Since the signing of the CEPA, bilateral trade has grown to $100 bn, and the two sides agreed to double the target to $200 billion by 2032.
The two sides also discussed cooperation in the civil nuclear sector, and have agreed to explore partnership in advanced nuclear technologies, including in the development and deployment of large nuclear reactors and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), as well as advanced reactor systems, and in maintenance and safety.
They also signed an MoU on food safety and on agricultural exports to the UAE to contribute to food security in the UAE.
The two sides agreed to cooperate in the field of Artificial Intelligence, with the UAE to partner India in the setting up of a supercomputing cluster, and to also set up data centres in India.
The two sides also agreed to explore the possibility of setting up ‘Digital Embassies’.
PM Modi expressed deep appreciation to the UAE President for looking after the welfare of 4.5 million Indians in the UAE.
Both sides also exchanged views on West Asia and expressed support for all efforts to support peace in the region. They also condemned cross border terrorism. The UAE President expressed support for the success of the BRICS grouping presidency to be held in India, and confirmed a high level participation for the AI summit.
“Though the visit was of three and a half hours, it was an extremely substantive visit, and has contributed to setting the direction of work between India and the UAE in the very near future,” the FS said.
The UAE President’s delegation comprised of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence; Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs; Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs; Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Adviser to UAE President; several ministers, and top officials.
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