NEW DELHI/DUBAI: India signed a $3 billion deal on Monday to buy liquefied natural gas from the United Arab Emirates, making it the UAE’s top customer, as the leaders of both countries held talks to strengthen trade and defence ties.
The LNG agreement was signed during a very brief two-hour visit to India by UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan for talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They pledged to double bilateral trade to $200 billion in six years and form a strategic defence partnership.
The two countries also agreed to work together to establish a strategic defence partnership and expand cooperation in areas including “special operations and interoperability, cyber space, counter terrorism,” Modi’s office said in a separate statement.
India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told reporters that the two sides signed a letter of intent to work towards forming a strategic defence partnership. Misri, however, said that the signing of the letter of intent with the UAE does not mean that India will get involved in regional conflicts. “Our involvement on the defence and security front with a country from the region does not necessarily lead to the conclusion that we will get involved in particular ways in the conflicts of the region,” he said.
Abu Dhabi state firm ADNOC Gas ADNOCGAS.AD will supply 0.5 million metric tons of LNG a year to India’s Hindustan Petroleum Corp HPCL.NS for 10 years, the companies said.
ADNOC Gas said the agreement brings the total value of its contracts with India to over $20 billion. “India is now the UAE’s largest customer and a very important part of ADNOC Gas’ LNG strategy,” the company said.The UAE is India’s third largest trading partner and Sheikh Mohammed was accompanied by a government delegation that included his defence and foreign ministers.
