New Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a productive meeting with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi on Monday and engaged in "fruitful talks" that covered a wide range of topics.

Notably, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi is on an official visit to India from September 9 to 10, at the invitation of PM Modi. This is the Crown Prince's first official visit to India in this capacity.

He was received on his arrival in New Delhi yesterday by Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry, and was accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour.

Sharing a post on X, PM Modi wrote, "It was a delight to welcome HH Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. We had fruitful talks on a wide range of issues."

It was a delight to welcome HH Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. We had fruitful talks on a wide range of issues. His passion towards strong India-UAE friendship is clearly visible. pic.twitter.com/yoLENhjGWd

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 9, 2024

"His passion towards a strong India-UAE friendship is visible," the post added.

The two leaders also expressed satisfaction over the substantial progress achieved in recent years in the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and discussed opportunities to further widen and deepen the partnership in all areas of bilateral cooperation, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press release.

They also acknowledged that the success of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and the recent entry into force of the Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) will provide further impetus to the strong economic and commercial partnership between the two countries. They also underscored the need to explore new areas of untapped potential, particularly in nuclear energy, critical minerals, green hydrogen, artificial intelligence, and cutting-edge technologies.

Several MoUs were also signed during the visit. The MoU on Nuclear Cooperation is expected to enhance cooperation in operating and maintaining nuclear power plants, sourcing nuclear goods and services from India, exploring mutual investment opportunities, and capacity building.

The agreement for long-term supply of LNG is for 1 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA) and is the third such contract signed in just over a year. Both IOCL and GAIL had previously signed long-term Agreements for 1.2 MMTPA and 0.5 MMTPA, respectively, with ADNOC. These contracts have strengthened energy security in India by diversifying LNG sources, the MEA added.

The MoU between ADNOC and ISPRL, inter alia, provides for exploring ADNOC's participation in additional opportunities for crude storage in India and the renewal of their storage and management agreement on mutually acceptable terms and conditions. This MoU builds on ADNOC's existing involvement in crude storage at the Mangalore Cavern of ISPRL since 2018.

The Production Concession Agreement for Abu Dhabi Onshore Block 1 between Urja Bharat (a JV of IOCL and Bharat Petro Resources Ltd) and ADNOC is the first one for any Indian company operating in the UAE. The concession entitles Urja Bharat to bring crude oil to India, thus contributing towards the country's energy security, the release added.

The MoU on Food Parks conveys ADQ's expression of interest in developing Gundanpara, Bavla, Ahmedabad as a highly promising site for this ambitious project, with a view to commencing the Food Park project in Q2 2025. The government of Gujarat shall facilitate ADQ and AD Ports, to obtain detailed information regarding the site and assist in obtaining necessary permissions.

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Notably, the Crown Prince will also visit Mumbai tomorrow and will participate in an India-UAE Business Forum. The forum provides a platform for business leaders and officials from both sides to brainstorm future cooperation between the countries in various areas. A soft launch on the commencement of work on the India-UAE virtual trade corridor (VTC) and MAITRI interface to facilitate VTC, will also take place in Mumbai tomorrow, the MEA in the release said.