Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi to be chief guest at India's Republic Day celebrations

Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, will be the chief guest at India's Republic Day celebrations in Delhi next week, the Indian External Affairs Ministry has said.

Sheikh Mohamed, who is also deputy supreme commander of the Armed Forces of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will arrive in this country on Jan. 24 on a three-day visit.

During his stay in India, the crown prince will call on President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice President Hamid Ansari, and also hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on issues of bilateral, regional and global interests.

Sheikh Mohamed will also attend the Republic Day celebrations on Jan. 26 as the chief guest, the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

"Following the landmark visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the UAE in August 2015, the two countries have agreed to elevate the mutually beneficial relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership," the statement added.

UAE was India's fifth largest crude oil supplier. Trade between the two countries topped 50 billion U.S. dollars in 2015-16.cvv

source: Xinhua