Modi to cover India-France-UAE triad with visit to Abu Dhabi
After interacting with top CEOs and thought leaders in Paris on Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reportedly make a stop-over in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) while returning to India, thus covering the triad. He will be the chief guest at the Bastille Day parade in France, and the list of CEOs, influencers, and thought leaders has almost been finalized.
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The visit will underscore India's growing engagement with the Middle East as he also paid a bilateral visit to Egypt while returning from the United States (US) last month. PM Modi met Dr. Mohammad bin Abdulkarim al-Issa, the secretary general of the Mecca-based Muslim World League (MWL) and Saudi Arabia's former justice minister, in Delhi on Tuesday and discussed developments in the Islamic world.
PM Modi's fifth UAE visit
This will be PM Modi's fifth visit to the Gulf country since coming to power in 2014. Previously, he visited the UAE in August 2015, February 2018, August 2019, and June 2022. Notably, during the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak, the UAE refueled Rafale fighter jets mid-air using its Airbus A330 tankers while on their way to India from France.
India, France, UAE announced trilateral cooperation initiative last year
In September 2022, India, France, and the UAE announced a trilateral cooperation initiative in the fields of defense, energy, and health. India and the UAE also signed the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) last year, which boosted bilateral trade, especially India's exports to the UAE. The bilateral trade volume surged 16% from $72.9 billion in 2021-22 to $84.5 billion in 2022-23.
Joint exercise to secure Indian Ocean
Last month, the three countries carried out their first joint naval exercise in the Gulf of Oman. India's INS Tarkash, Rafale fighters, the French ship Surcouf with helicopters, and the UAE Navy's maritime patrol aircraft participated in the exercise. It was aimed at keeping the Indian Ocean secure from traditional and non-traditional threats and ensuring the safety of sea lanes for trade and navigation.
