New Delhi is getting into the Republic Day celebration fervour, with the application of final licks of paint throughout the city. Chief guest at the parade, Abu Dhabi crown prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, arrived on Tuesday with a big delegation of ministers and businessmen — hoping to finalise a number of deals ranging from defence and security co-operation to strategic partnership on energy. The UAE is India's fifth largest supplier of energy (oil).
India has high hopes that the UAE will invest 75 billion dollars in the National Infrastructure Investment Fund, through the UAE's Sovereign Welfare Fund. Amar Sinha, secretary of economic relations at the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), said that ties with the UAE have been on an upward swing since 2015, this being the second visit of the crown prince in a year. In fact, the UAE government had even allowed a plot of land for the construction of a temple in Abu Dhabi.
Elaborating on defence tie-ups, Sinha said that both countries were exploring the possibility of joint manufacturing. India is also keen to export its defence products, like armaments and armoured vehicles, while the UAE is on the lookout for a source of supply which doesn't come with conditions. He added that India was also looking for visa exemption for diplomatic, official and special passport holders.
While the crown prince will depart after the event at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Thursday evening, the business delegation will travel to Visakhapatnam to participate in the Confedration of Indian Industries Partnership Summit on Friday.
