Mohamed bin Zayed visits Gandhi's memorial in New Delhi

12/02/2016

NEW DELHI: His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, visited yesterday the Raj Ghat, the memorial site of the Mahatma Gandhi in New Delhi, accompanied by Dharmendra Pradhan, India's Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed observed a minute of silence in respect and laid a wreath of flowers on the shrine of Gandhi, who lead his nation's peaceful struggle for independence. His Highness also planted a tree at the site and watered a tree that the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan had planted on a visit to India.

His Highness wrote in the guestbook, "The world is in much need today for the principles and values that Gandhi lived by. These values are based on justice, peace, equality and renunciation of violence. It is such values and principles that brought about the unity and development of the Indian nation, and they are the same values that we in the United Arab Emirates live by. They were sowed in our hearts and minds by a great man whose name is Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the founding father of the UAE."

His Highness the Crown Prince viewed a collection of sayings by the Mahatma Gandhi and was offered a commemorative gift at the site.

Sheikh Mohamed was accompanied during the visit by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, and H.H. Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court.

Also present were Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, Saqr bin Ghobash Saeed Ghobash, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, Suhail bin Mohammed Faraj Faris Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy, Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State, Ali bin Hammad Al Shamsi, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Security Council, Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority, Ahmed Abdul Rahman Al Bana, UAE Ambassador to the Republic of India, Mohamed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Under-Secretary of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court, Major-General Staff Pilot. Ibrahim Nasser Mohammed Al Alaw, Commander of Air Force and Air Defence, and a number of senior state officials.

President of India presents token of friendship to Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi

12/02/2016

NEW DELHI: The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, yesterday presented His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, with a copy of 'India and the UAE: In Celebration of a Legendary Friendship', a coffee table book authored by Shri Venu Rajamony, Press Secretary to the President and former Consul-General of India in Dubai from 2007 to 2010.

The 200-page book, produced by Indian Expressions (now IEDEA), a publishing company in the UAE, describes the dynamic India-UAE partnership with insight and contains rare historical photographs as well as contemporary narratives spanning historic, political and cultural aspects of the relationship between the two countries.

The book has been translated and published in Arabic by the National Centre for Documentation and Research, Ministry of Presidential Affairs, Abu Dhabi, UAE.

The book is a treasure trove of facts, figures and stories of the ancient, yet modern and dynamic ties that India and the UAE share. The book takes the reader on a journey through time, where glittering vistas of ancient and contemporary narratives and interviews, rare and present-day photographs and statistics are artistically juxtaposed to provide a fascinating and comprehensive glimpse of this strong and well-preserved association.

The President also presented a historical photo of himself visiting the Crown Prince's father, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, during the latter's visit to New Delhi in 1975. At that time, President Mukherjee was the Indian Minister of State for Banking and Finance. The photograph also features in the coffee table book.

Mohamed bin Zayed meets India's President; discusses promoting bilateral ties

12/02/2016

NEW DELHI: His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, met in New Delhi yesterday with Pranab Mukherjee, the President of the Republic of India.

The Indian President received His Highness Sheikh Mohamed at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Presidential Palace. Sheikh Mohamed is on an official visit to India, accompanied by a delegation of senior UAE government officials.

At the beginning of the meeting, India's President welcomed Sheikh Mohamed, wishing that his visit would promote the friendly ties and joint cooperation that the two countries already enjoy.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed expressed his happiness to meet the Indian President and to be in this friendly nation that has a deep history and rich culture, wishing the Indian people prosperity.

Sheikh Mohamed was accompanied in the visit by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, H.H. Lt. General Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, and H.H. Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chief of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court.

His Highness also conveyed the greetings and best wishes of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to the President of India and the Indian people. The Indian President sent his greetings to Highness Sheikh Khalifa, and the people of the UAE.

The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi stressed that the UAE has built its relations with friendly nations on the basis of mutual respect, constructive dialogue and common interests. These foundations were laid by the founding father of the nation, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. His Highness said that the UAE continues on the same path under the leadership of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa, noting that the UAE and India enjoy deep-rooted cultural and trade ties.

His Highness said, "Although our relationship have crossed many milestones, that doesn't stop us from opening new horizons for this relationship to grow and prosper. We expect all the mutual groups between the two countries to meet the desire of the leaderships of the two nations by working on creating new opportunities for economic, developmental and cultural partnerships."

The meeting also touched on the friendly ties between the two countries, including ways to promote them. The two sides also discussed regional and international developments and exchanged views on issues of mutual interest.

His Highness was accompanied by Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, Saqr bin Ghobash Saeed Ghobash, Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation, Dr. Anwar bin Mohammed Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Suhail bin Mohammed Faraj Faris Al Mazrouei, Minister of Energy, Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State, Ali bin Hammad Al Shamsi, Deputy Secretary-General of the National Security Council, Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority, Dr. Ahmed Abdul Rahman Al Banna, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to India, Mohammed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Under-Secretary of the Court of the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Major-General Staff Pilot Ibrahim Nasser Al Alawi, Commander of the UAE Air Force and Air Defence, and a number of senior state officials.

Mohamed bin Zayed and Indian Prime Minister witness exchange of a number of agreements and MoUs signed between the two countries

12/02/2016

 NEW DELHI: The United Arab Emirates and the Republic of India exchanged a number of cooperation agreements and memorandums of understanding in a number of areas.

The exchange ceremonies were witnessed by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, and His Excellency Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India at Hyderabad House in New Delhi.

The exchange ceremonies were also witnessed by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, H.H. Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, and H.H. Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Chairman of the Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Court, as well as a number of ministers and officials from the UAE and India.

The agreements and MoU's, which had been already signed, comprised of the following: - A memorandum of understanding titled, the Executive Program for Cultural Cooperation between the Government of the UAE and the Government of India (2016-2018). The MoU aims at developing and boosting cultural relations between the two countries, protection of national heritage and exchange of publications of mutual interest.

- A memorandum of understanding between the UAE's Insurance Authority and the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI). The MoH aims at promoting cooperation in the area of insurance regulations.

- A memorandum of understanding between the Government of the United Arab Emirates and the Government of the Republic of India. The MoU sets deals with facilitating contributions of UAE investment funds to investment in India's infrastructure. It also aims at achieving further economic, trade and investment cooperation.

- A memorandum of understanding between the UAE Space Agency and the Indian Space Research Organisation. The MoU facilitates cooperation in the area of space exploration and the peaceful use of outer space. The MoU aims at introducing cooperation in space-related activities and achieving the two states' common interest in the use and development of space technology applications for peaceful purposes.

- A Letter of Intent between the UAE's National Qualifications Authority and India's Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship. The LOI establishes for cooperation in the areas in skill development and mutual recognition of qualifications as well as transfer of skilled labour between India and the UAE and implementing the principles of equality and mutual benefits.

- Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in the area of combating electronic crimes. The MoU was signed between the UAE's Ministry of Interior and India's Ministry of Home Affairs. The MoU aims at boosting cooperation in the area of electronic crimes, which threaten to destabilise societies.

- A General Framework Agreement between the UAE's Ministry of Foreign Affair and India's Ministry of New and Renewable Energy. The agreement sets out for cooperation in the area of renewable energy, especially in the area of investments and joint research and development efforts between the two countries.

Mohamed bin Zayed holds formal talks with India's Prime Minister in New Delhi

12/02/201

 His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, held yesterday formal talks with His Excellency Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India, where the two leaders discussed ways to promote bilateral cooperation.

The two leaders agreed that promoting bilateral cooperation would drive forward the strategic partnership between the United Arab Emirates and India. The two leaders also discussed a number of regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Narendra Modi welcomed His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed at the beginning of the talks, which were held at Hyderabad House in New Delhi. Mr Modi expressed his happiness on the occasion of this important visit which serves the interest of the two nations. He also praised the special relationship the UAE and India enjoy.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed was accompanied in the visit by H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai, H.H. Sheikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, and H.H. Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Chairman of the Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Court.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed thanked the Indian government and His Excellency Narendra Modi for their warm welcome and hospitality.

His Highness also conveyed the greetings and best wishes of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE, and those of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai to His Excellency Narendra Modi and the Indian people.

For his part, the Indian Prime Minister sent his greetings to His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the of the UAE, and His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, wishing them and the people of the UAE prosperity.

His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan expressed his happiness for visiting India, saying that the country has a special relationship with the people of the UAE and the Arabian Gulf dating back centuries. He added that this deep-rooted relationship has helped to strengthen the bonds of friendship that the two nations enjoy today.

His Highness said that the United Arab Emirates, under the leadership of Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the President of the UAE, is keen on pushing its relationship with India forward on the solid basis of mutual respect and common interests. His Highness also commended the contributions of the Indian community to the development and growth of the UAE.

In their talks, the two leaders discussed measures to promote existing relations between the two countries to reflect the interest of the two sides driving these relations forward at all levels.

The two leaders also discussed regional and international issues, including current developments in the Middle East such as violence and terrorism.

The two leaders concluded their talks by stressing that the two nations have passed a milestone in the path of their strategic relationship, expressing their keenness on pushing this relationship forward. The visit of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed builds on the visit of His Excellency Narendra Modi to the UAE in August 2015, which represented a breakthrough in the relationship between the two nations.

They also agreed that it was important for the international community to exert more efforts to achieve stability and security at the regional and international levels and to confront the challenges that the people of the world face, including the menace of terrorism, extremism and violence.

His Highness was also accompanied by Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, the Minister of Economy; Saqr Ghobash, the Minister of Human Resources and Emiratisation; Dr. Anwar Gargash, the Minister of State for External Affairs, Suhail bin Mohammed bin Faraj Fares al Al Mazrouei, the Minister of Energy, Reem bint Ibrahim Al Hashimy, Minister of State for International Cooperation, Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of State, Ali bin Hammad Al Shamsi, Deputy Secretary General of the National Security Council, Khaldoun Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority, Dr. Ahmed Abdul Rahman Al Banna, the UAE's Ambassador to India; Mohammed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, the Undersecretary of the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Court; Air Vice Marshal, Ibrahim Nasser Mohammed Al Alawi, Commander of Air Force and Air Defence, and a number of senior government officials.

Mohamed bin Zayed meets Indian Vice President

12/02/2016

 NEW DELHI: His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has also met with the Indian Vice President Mohammed Hamid Ansari, where he discussed friendly ties and cooperation between the UAE and India as well as ways to promote them in order to achieve common interests.

The meeting was held at the residence of the Vice President at Maulana Azad Road.

Visionary leaderships in India, UAE blessing for both: Rathore

12/02/2016

Visionary leaderships in India and the UAE are a blessing for both the nations, as well as the region, to bring about a positive change, Indian Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore has said.

Rathore described Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, as visionary leaders, saying that, "They are driven towards bringing about positive change."

Speaking to PTI, the Indian official news agency, on the sidelines of the World Government Summit, Indian Information Minister referred to His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, saying that he is young, energetic and has a vision. "This combination is a blessing for both the nations and the region as well," he said in the interview published by the Dubai-based Khaleej Times.

Rathore said that Dubai is becoming like a knowledge hub and traditionally, the UAE and India have shared great relations going back decades in terms of trade.

"The kind of reception and warmth the prime minister received during his visit to Dubai last year has built an extremely positive environment for cooperation in areas such as information technology, national security, oil and non-oil, investment into infrastructure, exchange of knowledge, the smart cities concept that India has etc.," said Rathore.

"People of Dubai, the Emiratis, are very adaptive and accommodative towards the world, they are very open and very modern. That's their strength and perhaps the reason why Dubai and the UAE have done well," he said.

On asked about his sporting links with some of the Emiratis, going back to his days as an Olympian, Rathore said he has known them personally and they are "wonderful people".

"They are very energetic, they train very hard, and are great sportsmen as well. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum was my competitor and he won the gold that time," Rathore said, referring to the 2004 Athens Olympics when he won the silver medal in Double Trap shooting.