NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and discussed developments in West Asia as well as ways to further strengthen the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. The call also coincided with Modi’s birthday, with the UAE president conveying his greetings to the prime minister, an official release said. The two leaders discussed measures to deepen bilateral cooperation in areas including energy, defence, technology, investment and health. They also reaffirmed their commitment to continued coordination and cooperation to promote peace, security and stability in the region.
“Grateful to my brother, the President of UAE, HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, for his call and birthday wishes,” Modi said in a post on X. “We discussed measures to further deepen our bilateral Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and exchanged views on efforts to promote regional peace, security and stability.”
The statement said: “Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a telephone call from Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the United Arab Emirates. The UAE President conveyed warm greetings on the Prime Minister’s birthday.”
The conversation came amid heightened tensions in West Asia, including “escalation of security situation in Yemen” attacks by Yemen-based Houthi forces on Saudi Arabia. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India remained “deeply concerned” about the worsening security situation in the Red Sea.
“We have expressed our condemnation of the attacks on Saudi sovereign territory, including on civilians and economic assets. You would have also seen our statement which we issued following the attempted attack on the holy city of Makkah,” Jaiswal said at a regular media briefing. “Such attacks, I need not elaborate or reiterate, vitiate regional security, undermine regional peace and security and also threaten freedom of navigation in the Bab-el-Mandeb,” he said.
“Obviously for various reasons, this is totally unacceptable to us. We hope that there is early restoration of peace and stability in the region,” Jaiswal added. He said all Indian nationals in Yemen were safe and that the Indian embassy in Saudi Arabia was in contact with them to ensure their welfare.
The Bab-el-Mandeb has assumed greater significance for India’s energy security following Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz. India has repeatedly opposed attacks on merchant vessels and civilian infrastructure amid the wider West Asia conflict.
The issue of Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia was also discussed during External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s meeting with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit on September 13.
