Prime Minister Narendra Modi Embarks on Six-Day Diplomatic Tour to Strengthen Ties with Europe and the Gulf

Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a six-day, five-nation diplomatic tour on Friday — with visits to the UAE, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Italy. The trip is aimed at strengthening India’s strategic, economic and technological partnerships with Europe and the Gulf amid growing global geopolitical and energy challenges. Former Indian Ambassador to the UAE Sanjay Sudhir told ANI that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit was "very significant" against the backdrop of what is happening in West Asia. "I think it's a very significant visit, coming in the backdrop of what is happening in West Asia. It is a very strong symbol of support. This would be PM's eighth visit to the UAE and the UAE President has visited India five times. It means more than once a year, our leadership has been meeting either in the UAE or in India, in addition to other meetings. In that sense, it is important," Sanjay Sudhir said. 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. It is approximately a 3.5-hour to 4-hour flight from Delhi to Dubai. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to arrive around 10 am local time. He will spend four hours in the country before leaving for Europe. PM Modi's first destination will be the UAE, where he will hold wide-ranging talks with President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan with a focus on advancing the India-UAE comprehensive strategic partnership and exchanging views on the West Asia conflict. The prime minister will be in the Gulf nation for around four hours before embarking on the trip to Europe. Following the Modi-Al Nahyan talks, India and the UAE are expected to firm up two significant pacts to boost cooperation in areas of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and strategic petroleum reserves. FIEO President SC Ralhan said, "The Prime Minister's high-level engagements with the leadership of the UAE and major European nations underline India's growing stature as a trusted economic partner and a key driver of global growth. The visit is expected to create substantial opportunities for Indian exporters across sectors, including engineering, clean energy, technology, pharmaceuticals, food processing, textiles, logistics and digital trade." According to reports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will spend around four hours in the UAE before heading to the Netherlands. He will land around 10:10 am (local time - approx 12 noon in India) and meet with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. This is the first time that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting the UAE amid continued unrest due to the Iran war and the recent exit from OPEC. The UAE is now planning to expand its crude production to 5 million barrels a day by 2027, and experts have broached the possibility of Indian companies talking to those in the Gulf country for long-term contracts. Congress on Friday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that he has "unleashed the whip" on the public after the Centre increased petrol and diesel prices by Rs 3 across the country. Congress, linking the fuel price hike to the completion of the Assembly election in four states and one union territory, said that PM Modi's "vasooli (extortion) begins" after the elections. The PM will reach the UAE today, where he will meet 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. https://twitter.com/ANI/status/2055127251759366445 The Centre increased petrol and diesel prices by Rs 3 per litre each across the country on Friday morning. Petrol prices in New Delhi have now risen from Rs 94.77 to Rs 97.77 per litre, while diesel prices increased from Rs 87.67 to Rs 90.67 per litre. The hike comes amid growing concerns over the global energy crisis triggered by the ongoing conflict in West Asia --- mere hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to visit the UAE. According to a recent PTI report, energy security is expected to emerge as one of the key focus areas during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to the United Arab Emirates, with two important agreements in the areas of Liquefied Petroleum Gas and Strategic Petroleum Reserves likely to be concluded. According to reports, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to leave for the UAE at around 8.30 am. "The Prime Minister’s visit will further strengthen this friendship and partnership, and you will see that a number of agreements and MOUs will be signed during this period....special attention will be given to energy security," the MEA said during a briefing earlier this week. "There has been a very strong and close partnership between India and the United Arab Emirates over the past several years. The Prime Minister has visited the UAE seven times, and the President of the UAE has visited our country five times. In addition, a member of their royal family has also come here," the MEA spokesperson added. "Every time we think we have reached a mountain top, we discover there is another mountain top to reach. When we signed CEPA (Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement) a few years ago, which was a landmark agreement of which we have already achieved our initial objective of surpassing 100 billion dollars worth of trade, we are now embarking on yet another one - a 200 billion dollar worth of trade," UAE Minister Reem Al Hashimy told ANI ahead of the visit. https://twitter.com/ANI/status/2055103576662532183 According to an AP update quoting authorities, a ship anchored off the United Arab Emirates has been seized and taken toward Iran. Another vessel — a cargo ship near Oman — sank after being attacked as tensions escalated near the Strait of Hormuz. It wasn't immediately clear who was behind these incidents, but they happened as a senior Iranian official reiterated his country’s claim of control over the waterway and another said it had a right to seize oil tankers connected to the US. "The UAE is a very important partner for us in the area of energy. I did mention that it is the fourth largest source of crude oil last year, the third largest source of LNG for India, and the largest source for LPG for India...During this visit also, partnership in the area of energy will be an important area of discussion. And we have various agreements which are also under discussion, but I would not like to prejudge their outcome," said MEA spokesperson Aseem Mahajan during a recent briefing. According to a source-based Reuters report, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to discuss long-term energy supply deals and ​seek support to expand his country's strategic oil reserves during his brief visit to the United Arab Emirates on Friday. Sources told Reuters that Modi is likely to seek help with long-term supplies ​of cooking gas and crude oil, in addition to expanding India's strategic reserves. The UAE is one of India's biggest suppliers of crude oil and ​natural gas. New Delhi had also signed a $3 billion deal to buy liquefied natural gas from the Gulf ​nation in January. Trips to the UAE by ​heads of government have been rare since the war began and Iran launched ⁠strikes on the country. According to an ANI report, the Federation of Indian Export Organisations has hailed the tour. FIEO expects it to give fresh momentum to India's trade and investment ties with Europe and the Gulf region. The exporters' body said PM Modi's multi-country trip comes at a "crucial juncture" and highlighted the need for economic and strategic engagement with Europe and the Gulf region. FIEO said the high-level meetings are expected to create new opportunities for Indian exporters across sectors such as engineering, clean energy, technology, pharmaceuticals, textiles, logistics and digital trade. "If I ask any Emirati, you will probably find that they have had some connection to India in one way or another. I have a few members of my family who always go to India for treatment, who rely very much on Indian knowledge of herbs, and they compare that to our own knowledge of herbs, because Emiratis also have such a strong foundational respect for traditional medicine, like you do as well," UAE Minister Reem Al Hashimy told ANI ahead of the visit. "I think trade between us has been such an important player also - whether it is the clothes we wear or the spices we use or any of the other more human-to-human connections. One thing for me is sure, the future cannot be without a strong India and a strong UAE. So, I look at the milestones that we have, the visit tomorrow, and likely subsequent visits of my leadership back to India, as well as important proof points of a trajectory that grows from strength to strength," she added. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the diplomatic whirlwind will begin with a “short halt in the UAE” on May 15. He will join a “pivotal” meeting with President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan before departing the same day. PM Modi will be meeting Sheikh bin Zayed for their second face-to-face meeting in just five months. PM Modi's visit is expected to boost India’s engagement with Europe across multiple sectors, with a special focus on boosting trade and investment cooperation following the recent conclusion of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement. According to the Indian Express, the ongoing situation in West Asia is one of the reasons behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan meeting. The meeting's core agenda will be based on expanding ties specially in field of engery, technology and defence. Welcome to our LIVE Blog!. Here we will bring all the latest updates from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's six-day five-nation official tour.