Dubai: Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will visit the UAE on a two-day official tour from May 18-20, officials from New Delhi told Gulf News on Monday.
Parrikar will be accompanied by a high-level delegation from the Indian Ministry of Defence. Parrikar is expected to follow-up on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit in 2015 and the subsequent visit of the His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Bin Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Commander of the UAE armed forces, in February this year.
During their meetings in Abu Dhabi and New Delhi, the two leaders had signed a comprehensive strategic partnership in the areas of regional security, defence, counter-terrorism and joint defence production, among others.
“The defence minister is expected to initiate bilateral talks on regional defence and security. India recently concluded a very successful exercise of rescuing Indian nationals stranded in Yemen during Operation Rahat. We would like to collaborate on similar humanitarian and disaster relief operations and want to ensure that the two armed forces of our countries are on the same page in terms of cooperation and understanding and can work on smoother collaborations in case of any such eventualities in the future,” Nitin Vakankar, additional director-general, Media and Communications from the mnistry, told Gulf News on Monday.
Indian media reported on Monday that Parrikar may visit major industrial and military installations in the UAE. He is also likely to explore the possibility of a hydrographic cooperation and defence industrial cooperation between the two countries. The Indian side is also keen to benefit from the UAE expertise in logistics.
Sources in the Indian Defence ministry said New Delhi is looking to widen its market on defence exports and looking towards the UAE as a potential trade partner.
The sources said that Parrikar’s visit would also explore the possibility of understanding defence requirements of the UAE and looking towards establishing a fruitful defence export trade.
The minister is also scheduled to visit Oman after concluding the UAE visit, the defence ministry official added.
