Strategic oil reserves, LNG supplies and military collaboration dominate bilateral talks
ABU DHABI:
India and the United Arab Emirates on Friday agreed to expand cooperation in defence, energy and strategic investment during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Abu Dhabi, as New Delhi seeks to secure energy supplies and strengthen regional partnerships amid continuing instability linked to the US-Iran war.
The visit marked the opening leg of Modi’s five-nation tour that will also take him to the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy, with trade, energy security and geopolitical tensions dominating the agenda of the talks.
India’s foreign ministry said the two countries had finalised the framework for a strategic defence partnership aimed at deepening collaboration in advanced technologies, maritime security, cyber defence, military training, secure communications and information exchange.
The two sides also signed agreements related to strategic petroleum reserves and liquefied petroleum gas supplies, reinforcing India’s efforts to shield itself from disruptions caused by tensions in the Gulf region, the ministry added.
“The two sides have agreed on deepening defence industrial collaboration and cooperation on innovation and advanced technology, training, exercises, maritime security, cyber defence, secure communications and information exchange,” it said in a statement.
During his visit, Modi called for the Strait of Hormuz to remain “free, open and safe”, stressing the importance of adherence to international law. “Keeping Hormuz free, open and safe is our highest priority,” Modi said after meeting UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi’s state oil giant ADNOC said the agreements included plans to explore increasing its crude oil storage capacity in India to as much as 30 million barrels, while also examining the possibility of storing Indian crude reserves at Fujairah in the UAE.
India’s foreign ministry also announced UAE investments worth $5 billion, highlighting earlier deals including Emirates NBD’s acquisition of a 60% stake in RBL Bank and Abu Dhabi-based IHC’s investment in Sammaan.
Following the UAE stop, Modi will continue his six-day tour across Europe, where discussions are expected to focus on trade, semiconductors, defence cooperation, clean energy and supply-chain resilience following the India-European Union free trade agreement signed earlier this year. Modi is also scheduled to attend a Nordic summit in Oslo, marking the first visit by an Indian prime minister to Norway in more than four decades.
