Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit UAE on June 28

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the UAE on June 28, India's Ministry of External Affairs said.

The prime minister will travel to the UAE from Germany, where he will participate in the G7 Summit. During the visit, PM Modi will pay his condolences on the demise of the late His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

"After attending the G7 Summit, the Prime Minister will be travelling to UAE on June 28 to pay his personal condolences on the passing away of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the former UAE President. The PM will also take the opportunity to congratulate His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on his election as the new President of UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi," the ministry said.

The Indian prime minister will be the latest world leader to pay tribute to the late Sheikh Khalifa.

"The Prime Minister will depart from UAE the same night on June 28," the ministry added.

Modi's first visit after CEPA signing

Modi was expected to travel to the UAE earlier this year in January, but the trip was postponed. The UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement was expected to be inked during that visit. However, the deal was signed in February during a virtual summit witnessed by Sheikh Mohamed and PM Modi. The historic agreement aims to take the bilateral trade to $115 billion in five years, further securing India's place as one of the UAE's most significant and trusted commercial partners.

PM Modi's visit will be the first after the signing of the deal, which has been witnessing strong momentum between the two nations, with bilateral ministerial meetings and outreach programmes underway on the benefits of the free trade deal.

In 2021, India was the second-largest trading partner of the UAE. It accounted for 9 per cent of the total volume of the UAE's trade with the world, and 13 per cent of the UAE's non-oil exports, while the non-oil foreign trade between the two countries in 2021 reached Dh165 billion, a growth of 66 per cent compared to 2020.

High-level bilateral visits have been taking place regularly, with top ministers and business delegations holding meetings and exploring new growth verticals.

Last month, Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and Special Envoy for Climate Change, held a series of meetings with government and business leaders in India, focused on opportunities within the energy transition and industrial growth.

The visit comprised bilateral meetings with senior Indian government officials, including S. Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs; Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Consumer Affairs and Food and Public Distribution and Textiles; and Bhupender Yadav, Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and Minister of Labour and Employment.

Strong ties in good, difficult times

Sheikh Mohamed and PM Modi share cordial and close ties. While Modi visited the UAE in 2015, 2018, and 2019, Sheikh Mohamed travelled to India in 2016 and 2017.

During the last visit by Modi, he was honoured with the UAE's highest award, the 'Order of Zayed'. Also, in an unprecedented gesture, India declared a day of national mourning on May 14 as a mark of respect to the late UAE President.

The Indian national flag flew at half-mast on the day of mourning throughout the country on all government buildings, and there was no official entertainment on that day.

"We will always remember his contribution to our bilateral relations and the welfare of the Indian community in the UAE. My condolences to His Highness' family, the government and the people of the UAE in this hour of grief," India's President Ram Nath Kovind tweeted.