PM holds series of bilateral meetings, hails India-UAE ties as ‘symbol of stability’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday (September 12, 2026), after a meeting with Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), that strong ties between India and the UAE are a sign of stability during “a time of uncertainty” in the West Asian region.

Follow for the updates of the BRICS summit on September 12, 2026.

Mr.

Modi also held bilateral meetings with the Prime Ministers of Ethiopia, Vietnam and Malaysia on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi.

Key visit The visit of Sheikh Khaled, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and the chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, has been seen as a tactical move by the UAE amid the conflict in West Asia, in which the Gulf country and fellow BRICS member Iran have found themselves on opposing sides.

A joint declaration by BRICS members could be reached only after overcoming the opposing perspectives of both countrues.

‘From rule-takers to rule-shapers’: PM Modi’s big pitch to BRICS leaders in welcome address “India-UAE ties have been transformed over the last few years.

Now, we are raising our ambitions even higher,” said Mr.

Modi after the meeting, adding that the discussion covered matters like the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor project.

“At a time of uncertainty in West Asia, a strong India-UAE is a symbol of stability, prosperity and peace,” he said.

The External Affairs Ministry (MEA) said in a statement that the two leaders discussed major investment opportunities in India.

“The leaders acknowledged the important role that L’Imad, the UAE’s newest sovereign investment fund, could play in further deepening the India-UAE partnership for mutual benefit,” the Ministry said.

According to the Ministry, the discussion also covered cooperation in areas like defence, space, nuclear energy, technology and innovation.

The meeting also reviewed the announcement by the UAE’s International Holding Company that it would invest $11.5 billion in the integrated greenfield aluminium project in Odisha.

The project is expected to position Odisha as a global aluminium manufacturing hub and provide employment opportunities to a large number of industrial workers.

Talks with Ethiopia On Saturday (September 12), Mr.

Modi also held discussions with Abiy Ahmed Ali, the Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

According to the MEA, the talks were aimed at further strengthening the bilateral strategic partnership and the two leaders “reviewed progress across key sectors, including economic cooperation, defence and security partnership, and capacity building”.

The Ministry statement said the meeting “built on Prime Minister Modi’s historic visit to Addis Ababa in December 2025”.

The statement further said that the two leaders exchanged perspectives on regional and international developments of mutual interest and reaffirmed their commitment to close cooperation in multilateral fora.

“Prime Minister Modi expressed appreciation for Ethiopia’s participation in the 18th BRICS Summit and noted that its presence helped reinforce the collective voice of the Global South,” the MEA said.

‘Time-tested friendship’ Another bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Summit on Saturday (September 12) was between Mr.

Modi and the Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Le Minh Hung.

During the meeting, the two leaders exchanged views on various regional and global issues of mutual importance and reaffirmed the commitment to further strengthening their partnership, the MEA said.

“The meeting provided an opportunity for both leaders to review the progress made in bilateral ties, which were elevated to an Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the State Visit of H.E.

To Lam, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, to India in May 2026,” the MEA statement said.

The statement affirmed the “time-tested friendship” that India and Vietnam share, which it added was rooted in shared civilisational heritage, mutual trust, and understanding.

“Vietnam is a key pillar of India’s Act East Policy and an important partner in India’s broader engagement with Southeast Asia,” the MEA said.

Meeting with Anwar Ibrahim During their bilateral meeting on Saturday (September 12), Mr.

Modi and Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar bin Ibrahim reviewed the progress in bilateral cooperation across a range of areas, including trade and investment, defence and security, semiconductors, infrastructure, digital economy, energy, fintech, education, tourism, and people-to-people ties, the MEA said.

“Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim conveyed Malaysia’s concurrence to the establishment of a Consulate General of India in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah,” the MEA said in a statement.

The two leaders also took stock of the outcomes of Mr.

Modi’s visit to Malaysia in February 2026.

“Prime Minister Modi appreciated Malaysia’s continued support in strengthening ASEAN-India relations,” the statement said, adding, “The leaders exchanged views on key regional and global issues of mutual interest.

They expressed their continued commitment to advancing the India-Malaysia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.”