Watch video: PM Modi breaks protocol, receives Abu Dhabi crown prince
New Delhi, Feb 11: Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke protocol to receive received Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, General Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
PM Modi on Wednesday reached at the Palam Technical Area to welcome Abu Dhabi crown prince as he arrived here on a three-day visit to India.
Modi welcomed him with a warm embrace as the latter alighted from the aircraft.
"A special welcome for a special friend. PM @narendramodi personally receives HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted.
The crown prince is being accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising cabinet ministers. Senior officials and business leaders.
A slew of agreements, including on defence equipment manufacturing and civil nuclear cooperation, are likely to be signed between India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) during the crown prince's visit.
The welfare of the expatriate Indians in the United Arab Emirates, numbering around 2.6 million, is also likely to come up for discussion.
After
Saudi
Arabia,
the
UAE
hosts
the
highest
number
of
Indians
in
the
Gulf,
60
percent
of
whom
are
blue
collar
workers.
This
is
the
second
highest
level
visit
to
India
from
the
Gulf
region
after
the
visit
of
the
emir
of
Qatar
in
March
2015.
The region, which hosts seven million expatriate Indians and is an important source of remittances, has a strong bearing on India's security and stability in its neighbourhood.
Abu Dhabi crown prince accorded ceremonial welcome
The UAE is the third largest trading partner of India after the US and China. It is also the sixth largest source of India's crude oil imports.
On Friday, Sheikh Mohamed will leave for Mumbai where he will visit the Bombay Stock Exchange and meet Indian business leaders.
A special welcome for a special friend. PM @narendramodi personally receives HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. pic.twitter.com/aXkZTS3prk
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) February 10, 2016
Welcomed my close friend His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. pic.twitter.com/oaVjbeHobE
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 10, 2016
WATCH: UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan received upon arrival by PM Narendra Modi in Delhihttps://t.co/GCvFu4ZtuY
— ANI (@ANI_news) February 10, 2016
OneIndia News (With agency inputs)