The Chief of the Indian Army, General MM Narwane, met the Commander of the UAE’s Land Army and Staff Major General Saleh Mohammed Saleh Al Ameri. The army chief also discussed key issues of mutual interest and defence cooperation on Friday. General Narwane is currently on a six-day visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, the first visit by the Chief of the Indian Army to two strategically important Gulf countries.
According to the Indian Army, General Narwane received a Guard of Honor at UAE’s ground forces headquarters on Wednesday and garlanded at Martyr Point. The Indian Army’s Additional Public Information Directorate said in a tweet on Friday, “#COAS Major Also interacted with General Saleh Mohammad Saleh Al Amiri, Commander #LandForces and Staff and discussed issues of mutual interest and defence cooperation. ” It said that General Narwane also visited Bhoomi Sena Sansthan, Infantry School and Armor School on Thursday.
Let me tell you that the purpose of the visit of the Chief of Army Staff in the UAE is to further strengthen bilateral defense cooperation. His visit is seen as a reflection of India’s growing strategic relations with both countries and the visit is expected to open up new avenues for cooperation in the defence and security sector. General Narwane’s visit comes amid rapidly evolving events in the Gulf region, including normalizing Israel’s relations with several Arab countries and the situation arising out of the assassination of Iran’s top nuclear weapons scientist Mohsin Fakhrzadeh.
Prior to his visit to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, the military said in a statement in New Delhi that during the visit, he would meet his counterparts and the senior military leadership of these countries. The visit is historic in that sense because it will be the first time that an Indian army chief will visit the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
According to the official schedule, the army chief will visit Saudi Arabia from 13 to 14 December. Foreign Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Bahrain and the UAE has led to a visit by General Narwane to the Gulf region. Over the past few years, India’s relations with Saudi Arabia and the UAE have grown significantly. Last month, the army chief traveled to Nepal on a three-day visit.
