PM Modi to hold talks with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold talks with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan today. Mr Modi arrived in UAE capital Abu Dhabi last night which is second leg of his three-nation visit to France, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain. 

The two leaders will discuss the entire gamut of bilateral relations and regional and international issues of mutual interest. In a tweet, Mr Modi said, frequent high-level interactions between India and UAE testify to the vibrant bilateral relations. He said, the visit will further strengthen the multifaceted bilateral ties with UAE. 

Prime Minister will also formally launch RuPay card to expand the network of cashless transactions abroad. UAE will be the first country in the Middle East to commence the RuPay card facility. Mr Modi will also receive the highest civilian award of UAE - Order of Zayed. Prime Minister Modi, along with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohd Bin Zayed, is also expected to jointly launch the commemorative stamp on Mahatma Gandhi to mark 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Bapu.  

Mr Modi arrived in Abu Dhabi from Paris after successfully concluding his France tour during which he held bilateral meetings with President Emmanuel Macron and premier Edouard Philippe. Prime Minister Modi also addressed the Indian community at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. Addressing the Indian diaspora, he said, the resounding mandate to the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls is for building a 'new India. Mr Modi asserted that corruption, nepotism, loot of people's money, and terrorism have been reined in like never before. Hailing the move of doing away with the practice of triple talaq, Mr Modi said how can a 'new India' accept such injustice to Muslim women.

Ahead of his address, the Prime Minister, through a video conferencing,



inaugurated a memorial in honour of the victims of two Air India crashes in France in the 1950s and 1960s. From Abu Dhabi, Mr Modi will visit Bahrain where he will hold talks with King Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Prime Minister will also witness the formal beginning of the re-development of the temple of Shreenathji - the oldest in the Gulf region before returning to France tomorrow to attend the G7 Summit meetings. Mr Modi's visit to Bahrain is significant as it will be the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to the country. Prime Minister will also meet and interact with the Indian diaspora during the visit. 

Prime Minister Modi today will be decorated with the highest civilian honour in UAE called the “Order of the Zayed”, a rare honour given to Kings & Head of States. The award will be presented today in a special ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Abu Dhabi. 

The award has been conferred on Prime Minister Modi in recognition of the pivotal role played by him in enhancing bilateral ties. Acknowledging the award , the Prime Minister in an interview to the official news agency of UAE said that this honour is of special significance to him & all Indians. He said it also symbolizes the brotherly ties between the two countries & their people. PM Modi also said that India UAE relations are at their best ever & that India has found a partner in the UAE to achieve its ambitious dream of achieving a 5 trillion USD economy. 

PM will interact with the prominent NRI investors in the UAE. A number of regional & global issues are likely to come up for discussion during the bilateral meeting with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. This visit of PM hopes to further strengthen the trajectory of India UAE relationship which according to Ambassador Suri is in its ‘golden era’