Abu Dhabi [UAE]: A high-level all-party Indian delegation, led by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Eknath Shinde, arrived in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday as part of a four-nation diplomatic mission. The delegation held key meetings with UAE leadership, emphasizing the significance of Operation Sindoor and reaffirming India’s resolute stand against cross-border terrorism.
The UAE is the first stop on the delegation’s regional outreach tour.
“The delegations held meetings with UAE leadership and media to brief on the significance of Operation Sindoor and reaffirm India’s firm stance against cross-border terrorism,”
said the Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi, in a press release.
During the visit, the delegation met with Sheikh Nahyan Mabarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Co-Existence. The UAE Minister extended his condolences for the Pahalgam terrorist attacks, and reaffirmed support for India.
“India and UAE will tackle terrorism together. The UAE will always stand by India,”
stated Sheikh Nahyan.
The UAE had earlier condemned the Pahalgam attack unequivocally, with President Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan personally conveying condolences to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar via phone.
The Indian delegation, which includes MPs Bansuri Swaraj, ET Mohmd Basheer, Atul Garg, Sasmit Patra, and Manan Kumar Mishra, as well as BJP leader Surendrajeet Singh Ahluwalia and former Ambassador Sujan Chinoy, held detailed talks with Dr. Ali Rashid Al Nuaimi, Chairman of the Defence, Interior & Foreign Affairs Committee of the Federal National Council, along with other Emirati parliamentarians.
The discussions focused on India’s response to the Pahalgam attack and the measured, precise nature of Operation Sindoor, aimed at eliminating terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir (PoJK).
“India-UAE relationship is beyond trade and culture, and encompasses security and strategic issues. Terrorism is against the whole of humanity and international community must act now,”
emphasized Dr. Al Nuaimi.
In a separate engagement, the delegation met Dr. Jamal Al Kaabi, Director General of the National Media Office, to address concerns over misinformation campaigns originating from Pakistan. The delegation presented factual evidence to expose Pakistan’s propaganda efforts and counter disinformation.
Shrikant Shinde, as head of the delegation, gave an interview to The National, UAE’s leading newspaper. He outlined India’s longstanding battle against cross-border terrorism and the setting of a “new normal” through Operation Sindoor under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi.
The day concluded with a heartfelt interaction with the Indian diaspora in the UAE. The delegation commended the community for their contributions to society and their commitment to tolerance, unity, and resistance against divisive elements seeking to disrupt India’s social harmony.
The delegation is scheduled to continue its mission on Friday, participating in closed-door strategic dialogues with leading think tanks and policy experts in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
India launched Operation Sindoor in response to the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which claimed 26 lives. The operation involved precision strikes on terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan and PoJK, and was followed by strong countermeasures to Pakistani military aggression.