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Indian PM Narendra Modi to meet UAE President Sheikh Mohamed on July 15 in Abu Dhabi
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on July 15 during a stop-over from his France visit.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement Monday that the Indian leader will “discuss cooperation on global issues” and ways to strengthen the bilateral trade pact that came into effect in May 2022, with the UAE leader.
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“The India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has been steadily strengthening and Prime Minister’s visit will be an opportunity to identify ways to take this forward in various domains such as energy, education, healthcare, food security, fintech, defense and culture,” the Indian MEA statement said.
Figures shared by the UAE Ministry of Economy in June 2023 showed trade had reached $50.5 billion in the first 12 months of the CEPA, from May 2022 to April 2023, a 5.8 percent increase in the same period from the previous year.
“It will also be an opportunity to discuss cooperation on global issues, particularly in the context of UAE’s Presidency of COP-28 of the UNFCCC and India’s G-20 Presidency in which UAE is a Special Invitee,” the Indian MEA added.
The UAE, India, and France, in February 2023, agreed on a trilateral initiative to undertake energy projects with a focus on solar and nuclear sources, fight climate change and protect biodiversity, the Associated Press reported at the time.
The countries are expected to organize trilateral events in the framework of the Indian presidency of the Group of 20 (G20) rich and developing nations and the UAE’s hosting of COP28 climate negotiations this year, according to the same report citing the Indian MEA.
Modi’s UAE visit follows in the footsteps of his July 13 two-day visit to Paris. The premier will be the guest of honor at the Bastille Day Parade on July 14 and hold formal talks with French President Emmanuel Macron. A private dinner will follow the meeting.
Modi will also meet his French counterpart, presidents of the Senate and the National Assembly of France, the local Indian diaspora, CEOs of Indian and French companies, and “prominent” French personalities, the MEA statement said.
The visit comes as the two allies mark 25 years of the India – France Strategic Partnership. The MEA said it will “provide an opportunity to chart the course of the partnership for the future across diverse sectors such as strategic, cultural, scientific, academic and economic cooperation.”
Coinciding with the visit, India is expected to sign a naval fighter deal worth nearly $3.3 billion with France, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday.
Nearly 35 Rafale-Marine fighter jets are expected to be sold to the Indian Navy for use on its locally manufactured aircraft carrier, the INS Vikrant, the Bloomberg report said, citing senior officials familiar with the developments.
Raed more:
UAE-India trade touches $50.5 bln in first year of CEPA
France nears $3.3 bln Rafale fighter deal for India arms push during PM Modi’s visit
UAE ruler to meet Macron in Paris to reinforce ties with France