In an extraordinary gesture, the UAE government lit up the iconic ADNOC building here on the occasion of the swearing-in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Council of Ministers to symbolise the close bonds of friendship and cooperation between the two nations.
The flags of India and the UAE and portraits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan were displayed on the facade of the iconic building.
The Abu Dhabi National Oil Company or ADNOC is the state-owned oil company of the United Arab Emirates.
India's energy security is a top priority for the UAE with ADNOC being the only foreign oil and gas company, to date, to invest in India's strategic petroleum reserves programme. ADNOC is also a stakeholder in one of India's largest refinery and petrochemical complexes, which will be constructed at Ratnagiri in Maharashtra, Khaleej Times reported.
Strategic energy co-operation between the UAE and India was bolstered in March 2019, when an Indian consortium of two companies was awarded the exploration rights for an onshore block in Abu Dhabi's debut competitive block bid round. In addition, an Indian consortium of three companies was awarded a 10 per cent participating interest in Abu Dhabi's offshore Lower Zakum concession in February 2018, it said.
Navdeep Singh Suri, the Indian Ambassador to the UAE, told WAM, the official news agency of the United Arab Emirates, that since the visit of prime minister Modi to UAE in August 2015, the two nations have seen a real transformation in our bilateral ties.
"The close friendship that has blossomed over the last four years between our Prime Minister and the Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed is well-known. The whole world can see it today in this unique celebration of the re-election of the Prime Minister for a fresh five year term. The ADNOC tower behind us is beautifully lit up and adorned with the flags of India and UAE and visuals of the two leaders," he said.
"But beyond the symbolism of these images is also the clear direction that the Prime Minister and the Crown Prince have provided to diplomats like us to make the India-UAE Comprehensive Strategic Partnership a truly vibrant example of what we can achieve when we work together," Suri said.
Over the last two years, Suri said bilateral ties have evolved from a simple buyer-seller relationship to a multi-faceted partnership that has led to our first strategic petroleum reserve, our first oil concessions in the Gulf and the agreement to work together in our West coast mega-refinery project.
"So, as the Prime Minister starts his second term in office, there is tremendous sense of optimism for India-UAE ties. We now have the opportunity to build upon the strong platform that we have created over the last four years, and to make the coming period a truly Golden Era in our relationship," he said.
"An extraordinary gesture! the UAE government lit up the iconic ADNOC building in #AbuDhabi on the occasion of the swearing-in ceremony of PM @narendramodi and Council of Ministers," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.
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