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NEW DELHI / WAM
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, held on Thursday formal talks with His Excellency Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, where the two leaders discussed ways to promote bilateral cooperation.
The two leaders agreed that promoting bilateral cooperation would drive forward the strategic partnership between the United Arab Emirates and India. The two leaders also discussed a number of regional and international issues of mutual interest.
Narendra Modi welcomed His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed at the beginning of the talks, which were held at Hyderabad House in New Delhi. Mr. Modi expressed his happiness on the occasion of this important visit which serves the interest of the two nations. He also praised the special relationship the UAE and India enjoy.
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed was accompanied in the visit by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, H.H. Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, and H.H. Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Chairman of the Abu Dhabi’s Crown Prince Court.
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed thanked the Indian government and His Excellency Narendra Modi for their warm welcome and hospitality.
His Highness also conveyed the greetings and best wishes of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE, and those of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai to His Excellency Narendra Modi and the Indian people.
For his part, the Indian Prime Minister sent his greetings to His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the of the UAE, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, wishing them and the people of the UAE prosperity.
His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan expressed his happiness for visiting India, saying that the country has a special relationship with the people of the UAE and the Arabian Gulf dating back centuries. He added that this deep-rooted relationship has helped to strengthen the bonds of friendship that the two nations enjoy today.
His Highness said that the United Arab Emirates, under the leadership of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE, is keen on pushing its relationship with India forward on the solid basis of mutual respect and common interests. His Highness also commended the contributions of the Indian community to the development and growth of the UAE.
In their talks, the two leaders discussed measures to promote existing relations between the two countries to reflect the interest of the two sides driving these relations forward at all levels.
The two leaders also discussed regional and international issues, including current developments in the Middle East such as violence and terrorism.
The two leaders concluded their talks by stressing that the two nations have passed a milestone in the path of their strategic relationship, expressing their keenness on pushing this relationship forward. The visit of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed builds on the visit of His Excellency Narendra Modi to the UAE in August 2015, which represented a breakthrough in the relationship between the two nations.
They also agreed that it was important for the international community to exert more efforts to achieve stability and security at the regional and international levels and to confront the challenges that the people of the world face, including the menace of terrorism, extremism and violence.
His Highness was also accompanied by Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, the Minister of Economy; Saqr Ghobash, the Minister of Human Resources and Emiratization; Dr. Anwar Gargash, the Minister of State for External Affairs, Suhail bin Mohammed bin Faraj Fares al Al Mazrouei, the Minister of Energy, Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashimi, Minister of State for International Cooperation, Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State, Ali bin Hammad Al Shamsi, Deputy Secretary General of the National Security Council, Khaldoun Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority, Dr. Ahmed Abdul Rahman Al Banna, the UAE’s Ambassador to India; Mohammed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, the Undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court; Air Vice Marshal, Ibrahim Nasser Mohammed Al Alawi, Commander of Air Force and Air Defence, and a number of senior government officials.