New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will begin his five-nation foreign tour with a brief but strategically significant visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where energy security is expected to dominate discussions with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
According to officials from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the visit comes at a time when geopolitical tensions in West Asia continue to impact global oil markets and energy supplies. India is expected to push for stronger cooperation in crude oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG), LPG supply and strategic petroleum reserves during the high-level talks.
MEA Secretary (West) Sibi George said the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership has continued to deepen across sectors including trade, investment, energy, technology and people-to-people ties. He noted that strengthening India’s energy security would remain a major focus of the discussions.
Additional Secretary (Gulf) Aseem R. Mahajan described the UAE as “an important partner in our energy security.” He said the UAE was India’s fourth-largest crude oil supplier last year, meeting nearly 11 per cent of the country’s requirement. He also highlighted that Indian firms have signed long-term LNG supply agreements with ADNOC Gas, making India one of the biggest buyers of UAE LNG.
Sources indicated that two key Memorandums of Understanding related to LPG and strategic petroleum reserves may also be signed during Modi’s stopover in Abu Dhabi.
The Prime Minister’s visit is also expected to reinforce broader strategic ties between the two nations, which have witnessed rapid growth in trade, technology and defence cooperation in recent years.