Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed for his five-nation, six-day tour today (May 15), with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as his first stop. The brief visit to Abu Dhabi is expected to focus on energy security, trade diversification, and strengthening of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries.
Prime Minister Modi will meet UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The two leaders are set to exchange views on bilateral cooperation. Energy security is poised to take centrestage, with two landmark agreements expected to be finalised, according to a Reuters report.
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The Prime Minister is likely to engage in discussions aimed at securing long-term agreements for crude oil and cooking gas supplies. Citing authoritative sources, the report suggests that India's priority during the brief stopover in Abu Dhabi is to strengthen its energy cooperation with the UAE amid global market volatility.
The talks are also expected to explore ways to enhance India's strategic petroleum reserves with Emirati support, ensuring greater energy stability and supply security.
MEA spokesperson Aseem Mahajan said, quoting The Financial Express, “The UAE is a very important partner for us in the area of energy. I did mention that it is the fourth largest source of crude oil last year, the third largest source of LNG for India, and the largest source for LPG for India… During this visit also, partnership in the area of energy will be an important area of discussion. And we have various agreements which are also under discussion, but I would not like to prejudge their outcome.”
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