United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived here Sunday night and will hold talks with his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar to boost cooperation in key sectors such as trade and energy. The UAE minister will also call on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and participate in a business roundtable Monday. The visit would provide the two sides an opportunity to explore new areas of cooperation to further strengthen their comprehensive strategic partnership, Ministry of External Affairs said earlier.
Sheikh Abdullah’s visit comes at a time the issue of energy security is high on India’s agenda due to the situation arising out of US sanctions on importing oil from Iran. The ties between India and the UAE are on an upswing in the last few years. The UAE is India’s third-largest trade partner and fourth-largest energy supplier. The country is also home to 3.3 million-strong Indian community, largest in the Gulf region.
