It’s time to hail India-UAE friendship: PM Modi at Indian diaspora event

Abu Dhabi, Feb 13 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday told the Indian community here that India is proud of them and it was the time to hail the friendship between the two countries.

After greeting the thousands-strong audience at the ‘Ahlan Modi’ event with a ‘Namaskar’ amid chants of ‘Modi, Modi’ at the Zayed Sports City Stadium here, Modi said he was overwhelmed by the affection at the community programme.

“You have scripted history by coming in such large numbers here here. You may have come from different parts of UAE and from different states of India, but everyone’s hearts are connected,” Modi said.

“This is the time to hail the friendship between India and the UAE. In this historic stadium, every heartbeat echoes the same sentiment- Long live Bharat-UAE friendship,” Modi said at the event that began with national anthems of the two countries.

“Today’s memory will be with me forever because I have come here to meet members of my family,” he said.

“I have come here with a message of your brothers and sisters from over 140 crore Indians that India is proud of you,” he said.

Recalling his first visit here in 2015, Modi said he was new to the central government at that time and it was the first UAE visit by any Indian prime minister in three decades.

“In ten years since then, it is my seventh visit to the UAE,” Modi said.