An MoU was signed between Emirates Nuclear Energy Company and Nuclear Power Cooperation of India Limited for the operation and maintenance of UAE’s Barakah Nuclear Power Plant…reports Asian Lite News
India and UAE on Monday signed several significant Memoranda of Understandings (MoUs), paving the way for cooperation between the two nations in sectors like nuclear energy and petroleum. The agreements were inked during the official visit of Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi to India.
An MoU was signed between Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC) and Nuclear Power Cooperation of India Limited (NPCIL) for the operation and maintenance of the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the UAE.
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Also, an agreement for long-term LNG supply between Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Indian Oil Corporation Limited was signed, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press release.
MoU between ADNOC and India Strategic Petroleum Reserve Limited (ISPRL); Production Concession Agreement for Abu Dhabi Onshore Block 1 between Urja Bharat and ADNOC; and MoU between the Government of Gujarat and Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company PJSC (ADQ) on food parks development in India were signed.
Fruitful talks
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a productive meeting with the Crown Princethat covered a wide range of topics.
Sharing a post on X, Modi wrote, “It was a delight to welcome HH Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. We had fruitful talks on a wide range of issues. His passion towards a strong India-UAE friendship is clearly visible.”
The two leaders also expressed satisfaction over the substantial progress achieved in recent years in the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and discussed opportunities to further widen and deepen the partnership in all areas of bilateral cooperation, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a press release.
They also acknowledged that the success of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) and the recent entry into force of the Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) will provide further impetus to the strong economic and commercial partnership between the two countries. They also underscored the need to explore new areas of untapped potential, particularly in nuclear energy, critical minerals, green hydrogen, artificial intelligence and cutting-edge technologies.
The MoU on Food Parks conveys ADQ’s expression of interest in developing Gundanpara, Bavla, Ahmedabad as a highly promising site for this ambitious project, with a view to commencing the Food Park project in Q2 2025. The government of Gujarat shall facilitate ADQ and AD Ports, to obtain detailed information regarding the site and assist in obtaining necessary permissions.
The Crown Prince will also visit Mumbai to participate in an India-UAE Business Forum. The forum provides a platform for business leaders and officials from both sides to brainstorm future cooperation between the countries in various areas. A soft launch on the commencement of work on the India-UAE virtual trade corridor (VTC) and MAITRI interface to facilitate VTC, will also take place in Mumbai tomorrow, the MEA in the release said.
President lauds India, UAE’s women-led development
India and the United Arab Emirates have demonstrated that women-led development can deliver more effective results for overall socio-economic development, President Droupadi Murmu said on Monday. Her assertion came during a meeting she had with the Prince who had called on the President at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here.
She also praised the UAE leadership for ensuring the welfare, particularly the special care taken during the difficult times of the Covid pandemic, of more than 35 lakh Indian citizens in the West Asian country.
Murmu was also happy to note the high rate of participation and contribution of women in all aspects of Emirati society, a statement issued by the President’s office said.
She said, “Both our countries have demonstrated that women-led development can deliver more effective results for overall socio-economic development”.
The President expressed satisfaction that during the Crown Prince’s visit, “We have further expanded this partnership through several agreements in new areas of cooperation”.
Murmu said people-to-people ties form the bedrock of this relationship, with more than 35 lakh Indian citizens residing in the UAE.
The President said, “Our historic yet forward-looking bilateral relationship has been transformed over the past decade”, steered by the visionary leadership of both countries.
Murmu said she was pleased to be welcoming the third generation of UAE leadership to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, continuing a long tradition of high-level engagement that is in tune with India’s comprehensive strategic partnership with the UAE.
“Both leaders agreed that India and the UAE have societies with a syncretic and multicultural heritage, and that the path of peace, tolerance, and harmony shown by Mahatma Gandhi and H. H. Sheikh Zayed, are deeply imbibed in our national character,” the statement added.
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