Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, will begin a three-day official visit to India on July 7. The visit is aimed at providing the two sides with an opportunity to explore new areas of cooperation to further strengthen their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement on Thursday. Nahyan will be accompanied by a senior-level delegation. During the visit, he will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. India and the UAE enjoy warm, close and multi-faceted relations underpinned by historic cultural, religious and economic linkages which stand elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
The UAE is India’s third-largest trade partner and fourth largest energy supplier. It is also the first country to participate in India’s ‘Strategic Petroleum Reserves’ programme.As the chair of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), UAE invited India as the ‘Guest of Honour’ at the 46th Council of Foreign Ministers meeting of OIC in Abu Dhabi in March 2019. PM Modi had visited the UAE in August 2015 during which the two countries decided to elevate their relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Prime Minister had also visited the UAE in February 2018.
