Abu Dhabi Crown Prince to be Chief Guest at Republic Day celebrations

New Delhi [India], Oct. 2 (ANI): Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan has accepted India's invitation to be the Chief Guest at Republic Day 2017. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Vikas Swarup on Sunday tweeted: "We hope 2 welcome a dear friend of India, HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, as Republic Day 2017 Chief Guest (sic)." Swarup further retweeted a tweet from Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan's official Twitter account MBZNews, "In a letter to India's PM, Mohamed bin Zayed expresses thanks for the kind invitation to attend India's Republic Day celebrations." "Our strong relations are deeply rooted in history; our strategic cooperation has increased, driven by our mutual aspirations to develop it," MBZNews tweeted the Crown Prince as saying. With the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi accepting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's invitation to be the Chief Guest at the Republic Day celebrations, Pakistan's isolation in the international arena continues with most countries in the world, including the Gulf States, showing solidarity with India's resolve to combat terrorism. Further, the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's visit comes at a time when the Indian economy is seen as among the few bright spots in a world economy that is witnessing a slowdown. The UAE sees considerable economic opportunities in India, which is evident from its decision to invest $75 billion in India's infrastructure over the period. Security experts who are keen observers of subcontinental geopolitics say that the visit will further deepen the strategic partnership between India and the UAE. (ANI)