Terror on agenda in talks with UAE

In an indication of how deeply India values its ties with the oil-rich United Arab Emirates, Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke protocol and went to the New Delhi airport on Wednesday to personally receive “special friend” Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan who arrived in the capital on Wednesday evening to a warm welcome.

During the three-day official visit of Al Nahyan — who is also the deputy supreme commander of UAE’s Armed Forces — the two countries will discuss ways to enhance ties in a range of areas, including energy, economy and security and are expected to sign a number of agreements in sectors like oil, nuclear energy, IT, aerospace, railways and electronics. Apart from boosting trade ties by ramping up UAE’s investment in India, the stepping up of defence and security cooperation in the wake of rising threat of ISIS is also set to be among the major focus areas of talks between the two leaders on Thursday.

In a unique gesture, President Pranab Mukherjee will host a private lunch for Al Nahyan on Thursday, in a reflection of the importance the government has accorded to his visit.

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj called on the Crown Prince soon after his arrival in a meeting in which ways to combat the Islamic State threat and containing radicalism, besides the situation in war-ravaged Syria are reported to have figured prominently. Ms Swaraj also briefed Al Nahyan about the terror attack on the Pathankot airbase, official sources were cited by news agencies, as saying. Al Nahyan will travel to Mumbai on Friday where he will visit the Bombay Stock Exchange and interact with select industry leaders before leaving. A major focus of the visit by the UAE leader will be on significantly enhancing trade volume from the current annual figure of US$ 60 billion. “A special honour for a special guest! Breaking protocol, PM receives Crown Prince Sheikh Moham-med Al Nahyan at airport,” MEA spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

Official sources were also cited by news agencies as saying that Mr Modi went to the airport to receive the Crown Prince without any disturbance to the normal traffic in a compact carcade without having any ambulance.

“A special welcome for a special friend. PM @narendramodi personally receives HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan,” tweeted the PMO with a photo of the two leaders shaking hands at the Palam technical area of the airport.

Mr Modi had visited the UAE in August last year, the first by an Indian Prime Minister after a gap of 34 years, and Al Nahyan had received him then at the Abu Dhabi airport.

“This is Sheikh Mohammed’s first state visit to India and am glad he is visiting with his family,” Prime Minister Modi said in a tweet. “Sheikh Mohammed is a visionary leader. His visit will add new vigour and momentum to comprehensive strategic partnership between India & UAE,” the Prime Minister added.

“The security cooperation between the two countries has been exemplary. There is concrete meeting of minds on the issue,” said Mr Anil Wadhwa, secretary (east) in the MEA, earlier in the day. Asked whether India will raise the issue of attaching properties of wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim in UAE, Mr Wadhwa refused to talk about any specific individual while maintaining that these are “ongoing processes”.

On whether India will raise the issue of levying of taxes by UAE to offset impact of falling oil prices as its tax has hit Indian people also, Mr Wadhwa said every country has to manage its economy and that it was an internal matter of UAE. But he said welfare of Indians usually comes up in the discussions.

Ways to contain radicalism, stepping up counter-terrorism cooperation and dealing with the ISIS are also likely to figure prominently in talks that Al Nahyan will have with Mr Modi on Thursday. According to news agency reports, the UAE has deported about a dozen Indians with suspected links to the terror group.

Al Nahyan is being accompanied by a power-packed delegation for his three-day trip till February 12 which includes several top ministers and over 100 business tycoons and CEOs of top companies.

The economy of UAE, one of the leading producers of oil, has been hit hard by falling crude prices and it is expected that the Gulf nation would like to invest significantly in India’s energy and infrastructure sectors from its sovereign wealth fund of around US$ 800 billion. India has been eyeing the fund, being managed by the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, for its infrastructure sector including for railways, ports and roads.