Zayed invites Indian PM to visit UAE

Lt. Gen. Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of the UAE Armed Forces, yesterday handed over a personal letter from President His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan inviting Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to visit the UAE.

The letter was handed over when the delegation led by Mohammed bin Zayed called on the Indian premier on the concluding day of their three-day visit to India.

Vajpayee, recovering from eye surgery, had cancelled all his other engagements of the day on medical advice, but insisted on meeting the delegation.

The meeting was attended by Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Member of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Economic Department, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Information and Culture, Dr Saeed Mohammed Al Shamsi, and the delegation members.

Official sources said Vajpayee expressed desire on behalf of India to further strengthen bilateral ties with the UAE during the meeting.

Earlier, Indian President A P J Abdul Kalam received Sheikh Mohammed and the UAE delegation.

Sheikh Mohammed conveyed the greetings of Sheikh Zayed and His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, to the Indian President, wishing him good health, more progress and prosperity for the Indian people.

Sheikh Mohammed also held talks with Sonia Gandhi, leader of India's main opposition Congress Party.

Later a comprehensive agreement on defence cooperation was signed after the delegation had a meeting with India's Defence Minister George Fernandes.

India's Defence Secretary Subir Dutta and Dr. Saeed M Ali Al Shamsi, the UAE Ambassador to India, signed the defence cooperation agreement.

According to India's Ambassador to the UAE, K.C. Singh, it is the first time India has signed a defence cooperation accord with a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

The two countries had on Monday agreed to have a strategic dialogue annually, building a permanent platform for delegation-level dialogue on a variety of issues. UAE is the second Gulf country after Oman to hold a strategic dialogue with India.

Besides signing the defence cooperation accord, the two countries have also discussed the possibility of forming a Joint Working Group (JWG) on security issues.

"The agreement also provides for military training, military medical services, military, cultural and sports activities, environmental issues and pollution caused by military, particularly at sea," Singh said while elaborating the highlights of the accord.

The agreement has given a fillip to cooperation in the defence industry as also in the field of scientific research.