New Delhi: India would like to improve engagements with the government of the UAE where a robust Indian community thrives and enjoys excellent relations with citizens and government of the emirates, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Gulf News on Saturday.
In an interview at his sprawling residence on New Delhi’s Race Course Road, Modi said that India-UAE relations must improve at the government level. “I want to change this mismatch in relations,” said Modi, who is visiting the UAE on a two-day tour starting on Sunday.
“This is not just the first visit of an Indian prime minister in 34 years but also my first visit to the UAE, a nation I admire,” the Prime Minister said.
Modi will arrive in Abu Dhabi on Sunday afternoon and is expected to visit Shaikh Zayed Mosque and a labour accommodation in Mussafah area. Later in the evening, he will hold talks with top officials at Abu Dhabi Investment Authority.
On Monday, Modi will meet His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.
Also on the agenda for Monday is a visit to Masdar and a grand public reception at Dubai Cricket Stadium to be attended by tens of thousands of Indian expatriates. He will return to New Delhi after the cricket stadium event on Monday.
Related: What Indian expatriates in UAE expect from Modi's visit
