Modi meets UAE PM, discusses bilateral ties

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today met UAE Vice President and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and discussed ways to expand bilateral cooperation in trade, defence and people-to-people contacts.
Modi also met business leaders from Gulf Cooperation Council countries and shared his vision of "new India" with them.
"Strengthening our comprehensive strategic partnership! Prime Minister Modi met with Vice President and PM of UAE Sheikh Mohammed in Dubai," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.
The two leaders had an engaging discussion on expanding cooperation in trade and investment, defence and security and people-to-people contacts, Kumar said.
Modi also met Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Sapar Isakov on the sidelines of the World Government Summit in Dubai.

Yesterday, Modi arrived in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE, and held wide-ranging talks with Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as the two sides signed five agreements, including a historic pact awarding a consortium of Indian oil companies a 10 per cent stake in offshore oil concession.

"Taking India story to the business leaders! Prime Minister Modi painted the vision of a new India and shared the ease of doing business in India with the business leaders from Gulf Cooperation Council countries," Kumar said in another tweet.
"He spoke at length about the economic opportunities in India and the series of reforms undertaken in the last 3.5 years," the Prime Minister Office said in tweet.

Modi, earlier, launched a project for the construction of the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, describing the holy place as a "catalytic agent" of humanity and harmony that will become a medium of India's identity.
He laid the foundation stone for the BAPS Swaminarayan temple via video conferencing from the Dubai Opera House, where he addressed the members of the Indian community.
Modi is visiting the United Arab Emirates for the second time after his 2015 trip to the Gulf country.