Abu Dhabi : United Arab Emirates (UAE)'s F16 jets escorted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's aircraft as it entered UAE airspace as part of his five-nation tour from May 15-20. PM Modi landed in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on the first leg of his five-nation visit. Here, the PM will meet UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The two leaders will exchange views on bilateral issues, in particular energy cooperation, as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest.
Following his arrival, PM Modi was accorded a guard of honour in Abu Dhabi. Earlier, the UAE Minister of State for International Cooperation, Reem Al Hashimy, hailed the Prime Minister as a "true treasure" for the leadership and people of the Emirates, stating that the bilateral relationship is poised to scale "new mountaintops" in trade and technology. Speaking with news agency, Al Hashimy expressed great excitement for the visit, noting that PM Modi remains a key figure in a longstanding partnership.
She said PM Modi's visit will take forward the regular high-level engagements between the two countries following the UAE President's visit to India in January and the Crown Prince's participation in the AI Summit in February.
PM Modi's five-nation visit will also cover the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy. After the UAE, he will travel to the Netherlands from May 15-17, where he is scheduled to hold talks with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten and meet King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. The visit is expected to focus on sectors such as semiconductors, green hydrogen, innovation, defence and water management.
The Prime Minister will then visit Sweden on May 17-18 and hold bilateral talks with Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson. The two leaders are also expected to jointly address the European Round Table for Industry along with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Discussions are expected around AI, emerging technologies, the green transition and resilient supply chains.
In Norway, PM Modi will participate in the 3rd India-Nordic Summit in Oslo on May 19 and hold bilateral talks with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. The summit will also see participation from leaders of Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden. In the final leg of the visit, PM Modi will travel to Italy from May 19-20 for talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and President Sergio Mattarella. The visit comes amid growing India-Italy cooperation in clean energy, defence and technology.