PM Modi receives UAE Crown Prince at airport, says both countries share 'strong bonds of friendship'

Pic courtesy: @narendramodi

Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday received at the airport Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, who will be the Chief Guest at this year's Republic Day parade.

Al Nahyan, also the Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE armed forces, arrived here on a three-day visit.

Later the PM tweeted - "Welcome to India. We are honoured to host you and delighted that you will join our Republic Day celebrations."

He also wrote - "India and UAE share strong bonds of friendship & extensive cooperation. Looking forward to building on this & further cementing ties."

Welcome to India, HH Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. We are honoured to host you & delighted that you will join our Republic Day celebrations. pic.twitter.com/fabv7oji1p

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 24, 2017

India & UAE share strong bonds of friendship & extensive cooperation. Looking forward to building on this & further cementing ties. @MBZNews — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 24, 2017

The two leaders will first meet for one-on-one talks with the PM at his official residence before holding delegation-level meeting at Hyderabad House.

Apart from providing boost to trade and investments ties, enhancement of cooperation in strategic areas of energy, defence and security will dominate the talks tomorrow.

Yesterday, briefing the reporters on the visit, Secretary Economic Relations Amar Sinha had said "substantial" outcome was expected in the area of defence and security where they will "solidify" their cooperation given shared views on common threat.

"Defence and security is emerging as a new area of cooperation based upon shared views and concerns about common threats. We are hoping that this visit would solidify the same," he had said and added that there would be "substantial" outcome in the security and defence area.

Noting that the UAE has the largest sovereign fund and they are looking at investment, Sinha had said that there was an agreement that they would invest nearly USD 75 billion in India in next couple of years.

Maintaining that the decision to elevate the bilateral ties to strategic level had already been taken, Sinha had said, "However, we are still signing an agreement which is more like an action plan which thrashes out of idea of strategic partnership and brings out concrete idea of what both sides are committed to do."

(With PTI inputs)