Shafaqna India: India and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for civil nuclear cooperation on Monday. The agreement was formalized between the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and the Emirates Nuclear Energy Company (ENEC), which oversees the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant Operations and Maintenance. This MoU marks the first of its kind between the two nations and was signed during the visit of Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, to India.
This collaboration stems from a 2015 agreement between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the UAE to explore peaceful uses of nuclear energy, covering areas such as safety, health, agriculture, and science and technology. The current agreement underscores the UAE’s strategy to expand investments in the nuclear energy sector.
The MoU is the culmination of years of dialogue between India and the UAE on nuclear cooperation. Notably, on September 19, 2022, the Foreign Ministers of France, India, and the UAE met in New York during the UN General Assembly and launched a trilateral cooperation format, focusing on energy, particularly solar and nuclear energy.
It was a delight to welcome HH Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. We had fruitful talks on a wide range of issues. His passion towards strong India-UAE friendship is clearly visible. pic.twitter.com/yoLENhjGWd
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 9, 2024
The Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi was hosted earlier in the day by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Hyderabad House in New Delhi.
Additional Agreements and Cooperation
Alongside the nuclear cooperation MoU, several other key agreements were signed between India and the UAE. These include:
Long-Term LNG Supply: An MoU between Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Indian Oil Corporation Limited for long-term LNG supply.
Strategic Petroleum Reserve: An agreement between ADNOC and India Strategic Petroleum Reserve Limited (ISPRL).
Production Concession Agreement: Urja Bharat and ADNOC signed an agreement for Abu Dhabi Onshore Block 1.
Food Parks Development: An MoU between the Government of Gujarat and Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Company PJSC (ADQ) for the development of food parks in India, seen as an extension of the I2U2 grouping that includes Israel and the United States.
The visit of the Crown Prince and the agreements underline the strengthening ties between India and the UAE, particularly in the context of the first India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Riyadh on September 8-9. During the meeting, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar emphasized the strategic importance of the GCC in global energy supply and highlighted India’s role as one of the largest and fastest-growing markets in the world.