PM Modi to hold bilateral talks with UAE’s MBZ during G-20 Summit

UAE's President bin Zayed dialled PM Modi on August 24 to congratulate on Chandrayaan-3's success and thank him for BRICS support.

Despite being hard-pressed for time as a host of the G-20 summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with his close friend UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed during the multilateral event over the weekend. UAE has been invited as a guest for the G-20 summit by India.

File photo of PM Narendra Modi and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

While slotting of bilateral meetings with PM Modi is still a work in progress with the Indian leader currently focused on the ASEAN summit at Jakarta, it is understood that G-20 chief coordinator Harsh Shringla, Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla and I and B Secretary Apurva Chandra made a two-hour presentation before the PM on September 4 on full arrangements and security for the G-20 summit. It is learnt that the Union Council of Ministers will be briefed about different aspects of G-20 this morning. The G-20 substantive negotiations are being conducted by G-20 sherpa Amitabh Kant and Ajay Seth, Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance.

While UAE did not ask for a state visit, it is learnt that this would be Mohammed Bin Zayed’s first visit to India since he was appointed as President of the Emirate last year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited UAE on July 15 while returning from France.

During his visit to India for the G-20, President Mohammed bin Zayed or MBZ as he is called will announce UAE joining the Global Biofuels Alliance, which was started by PM Modi and has many members including the US. The UAE ruler called up PM Modi on August 24 after India supported the Emirate's candidature for the BRICS membership and particularly congratulated the Indian leader for Chandrayaan 3 landing on the south pole of the moon.

UAE is a close ally of India and one of the few countries that have started local currency trade in oil and gold with India. It was during his visit to UAE on July 15 that ₹12.84 crore worth of gold was traded with the Emirate in Indian currency and on August 14, USD 75 million oil trade took place between the two allies using Indian Rupee, Dirhams and USD. The two countries have close bilateral cooperation with UAE air tankers refuelling Rafale fighters en-route to India from France in 2020.