New Delhi: Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived here to a warm welcome on Sunday as he kick-started a two-day maiden visit to India to further boost bilateral ties in a range of areas, including energy and connectivity, amid escalating tensions in West Asia.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal received the Crown Prince at the airport following which he was accorded a ceremonial welcome, in reflection of the importance India has attached to the visit.
"A new milestone in a historic relationship. His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in Delhi on his first official visit to India," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on 'X'.
"Warmly received by @CimGOI @piyushgoyal and accorded a ceremonial welcome," he said.
The Crown Prince is accompanied by several ministers from the UAE government and a business delegation.
After concluding the Delhi leg of his visit, Al Nahyan will travel to Mumbai to participate in a business forum. Top business leaders from both countries will participate in the forum on Tuesday.
The visit of Al Nahyan will further reinforce strong ties between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and open avenues for partnership in new and emerging areas, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
Prime Minister Modi and the Crown Prince will hold talks on Monday.
Following the landmark visit of Modi to the UAE in August 2015, bilateral relations between the two countries were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Both countries signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in February 2022 and a Local Currency Settlement (LCS) System in July 2023 to promote the use of Indian Rupee and AED (United Arab Emirates Dirham) for cross-border transactions.
The two countries are among each other's top trading partners with a bilateral trade of about USD 85 billion in 2022-23, according to official data. The UAE is also among the top four investors in India in terms of foreign direct investments in 2022-23.
About 3.5 million strong and vibrant Indian community forms the largest expatriate group in the UAE.
The UAE was invited as a special invitee for G20 during India's Presidency of the grouping.
In February 2023, the India-UAE-France (UFI) trilateral was formally launched.
With India's active support, the UAE joined SCO as a dialogue partner in May 2023. The UAE also joined BRICS as a member on January 1 with India's support.
The India-UAE defence cooperation has also witnessed a renewed momentum in the last few years.
In January 2024, the first India-UAE bilateral army exercise 'Desert Cyclone' was held in Rajasthan.
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