Sushma Swaraj meets Prince of Abu Dhabi; discusses IS threat, radicalism

Ways to combat Islamic State threat and containing radicalism besides situation in war-ravaged Syria figured prominently when External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj called on Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Wednesday. Swaraj also briefed Al Nahyan about the terror attack on the Pathankot airbase, official sources said.

The Crown Prince arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday evening on a three-day visit during which both countries will discuss ways to enhance cooperation in a range of areas including energy, economy and security.

In the meeting between Swaraj and Al Nahyan, the two leaders discussed the challenge posed by the ISIS, which has under its control vast swathes in Iraq and Syria, and emphasised on the need to work closely to defeat terrorism.

The issue of a Saudi Arabia-led alliance against IS also came up for discussion, sources said. In this regard, Swaraj also complimented UAE for supporting the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) to effectively deal with the menace globally.

India has been pressing for adoption of the CCIT by the United Nations. The two leaders also deliberated on the need to contain radicalism, the sources said.

Al Nahyan is accompanied by a power-packed delegation for his three-day trip till February 12 which includes several top ministers and over 100 business leaders and CEOs of top companies. He will hold detailed talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.

Our honoured guest from across the Arabian Sea. EAM @SushmaSwaraj calls on Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed Al Nahyan pic.twitter.com/HVjTVbfkQa

— Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) February 10, 2016