Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will have a “heart-to-heart, in-depth discussion” on the regional war and deepening energy partnerships with the UAE during a visit that will last a few hours on Friday.
Mr Modi’s visit to the UAE is the first by the Indian leader to the region after Iran launched missile and drone attacks on February 28.
He will meet President Sheikh Mohamed on Friday before leaving for the Netherlands as part of a five-nation tour that also includes Sweden, Norway and Italy.
Deepak Mittal, Indian ambassador to the UAE, told The National that the visit would give the leaders a chance to speak in-person for the first time since the Iranian conflict began two months ago.
“This is Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first visit since the onset of the conflict on February 28,” Mr Mittal said.
"The visit of the Prime Minister is important in a sense that it gives him an opportunity to have an in-depth exchange of views with His Highness Sheikh Mohamed on the prevailing situation and how we can work together. The two are the great architects of a partnership which over the past decade has evolved into a comprehensive strategic partnership.”
He said both countries would work towards further deepening ties, and continue working on new initiatives and strengthening the partnership.
Heart-to-heart talk
The meeting is a reflection of the deep ties between the two countries. This is Mr Modi’s eighth visit to the UAE over the past 12 years. Sheikh Mohamed has visited India five times, most recently in January when he held talks with Mr Modi in New Delhi.
“It shows a strong personal friendship, a chemistry that exists. On both sides there is a close connect and this visit is a continuum of how the leadership has remained engaged,” Mr Mittal said.
“It’s a visit for a few hours, spending time with his brother, the President Sheikh Mohamed. His Highness had been to India in January and spent time with the Prime Minister.
"This is the comfort they have developed with each other, the comfort of being able to drop in on each other at short notice – it happened in January and will happen now - to have a heart-to-heart talk on all issues.”
Energy a pillar of the talks
Abu Dhabi’s decision last month to withdraw from Opec after more than five decades will result in a deepening of India-UAE relations. UAE’s crude exports mainly go to Asia with India, China and Japan among key buyers.
“Energy will be a pillar of the discussions,” Mr Mittal said. “We see the UAE as a very important partner in India's energy security. The UAE has been a top supplier meeting our needs whether it is crude, LNG, LPG.
"But our partnership has gone beyond mere sale and purchase – it’s also about investing in each other.”
For the world’s most populous country, the UAE is also a key, long-term energy partner with which India is working to diversify with co-operation in renewable energy and nuclear power generation.
“In the energy partnership, how we can deepen, strengthen, be involved in strategic outreach especially after the UAE has decided to come out of Opec and is looking at extending its partnership. This means a lot to us in India. It opens up new opportunities, for instance in terms of how the UAE’s partnership will help to supply gas to the households in India,” Mr Mittal said.
“It’s not a story limited to oil and gas, it goes beyond. We are committed and working on diversifying our energy partnership going into renewables. We do see so many opportunities.”
Working through the war
India has condemned the Iranian attacks on the UAE and said it was aligned with the Emirates on freedom of navigation and unimpeded, free passage for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
Energy and food security, and strengthening the Comprehensive Economic Partnershp Agreement signed between the two nations in 2022 – the first Cepa signed by the Emirates – are part of forging further growth amid geopolitical uncertainty with the closing of the Strait of Hormuz.
“We know the challenges imposed with the current situation in the Strait of Hormuz. We can also look at what is it that we want to do together in the future,” Mr Mittal said.
“We see the UAE, its vision and how they have been working on securing new supply chains, alternate logistics. Given the eastern seaboard of the country and India’s western seaports which have been connected through history – how these can be strengthened.”
