UAE: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on a two-day official visit that will see talks focused on boosting cooperation in energy and trade.
His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, received Narendra Modi at the Abu Dhabi airport.
The Indian Prime Minister received a Guard of Honour at the airport along with Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed.
Both the leaders travelled to Emirates Palace where they will hold formal talks.
Modi is accompanied by senior officials including National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar.
Modi is the first Indian prime minister to visit the UAE after the 1981 visit of former prime minister Indira Gandhi.
Ahead of his visit, Modi said in an interview to Khaleej Times: “India and the UAE have everything to be a top priority for each other. This is the way I look at the UAE. The Gulf region is vital for India’s economic, energy and security interests.”
“We have resolved to sustain regular high-level engagement and build a strong and comprehensive strategic partnership,” he said.
