S Jaishankar Visits UAE’s First Hindu Temple

BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi was inaugurated by PM Modi in February

Dubai:

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held “productive and deep” conversations with his United Arab Emirates counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan on India and UAE’s “ever-growing” comprehensive strategic ties and discussed regional and global issues.

Mr Jaishankar, who was in the UAE on Sunday, visited the iconic BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi and participated in the 10th International Yoga Day celebrations before meeting Al Nahyan.

“Very pleased to meet UAE FM @ABZayed today in Abu Dhabi,” he said in a post on X after meeting his UAE counterpart.

“Productive and deep conversations on our ever-growing Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Appreciated the discussion and his insights on regional and global issues,” he said.

Mr Jaishankar visited the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 14 this year.

Taking to X, he called the temple a “visible symbol of India-UAE friendship”.

At the temple, the minister interacted with the monks of BAPS, the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Sansthan, the organisation that built the temple on the land donated by the UAE.

Blessed to visit the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi today.

A visible symbol of India-UAE friendship, it radiates a positive message to the world and is a true cultural bridge between our two countries.

🇮🇳 🇦🇪 @AbuDhabiMandirpic.twitter.com/6YO7gj3geZ

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) June 23, 2024

Mr Jaishankar then inaugurated and participated in the 10th International Day of Yoga celebrations organised by the Indian Embassy in UAE, held at the Louvre, Abu Dhabi museum premises.

The session lasted for almost 30 minutes, with participants from a multitude of countries at the museum that regularly holds yoga classes for diverse backgrounds.

Ahead of his day-long visit to Abu Dhabi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi said that the visit would provide an opportunity to review the entire spectrum of comprehensive strategic partnership between India and the UAE as well as regional and global developments.

“During the visit, the External Affairs Minister will have a meeting with his UAE counterpart on wide-ranging issues of the partnership,” the MEA said in a statement.

About a 3.5-million-strong and vibrant Indian community forms the largest expatriate group in the UAE.

Both countries signed a landmark comprehensive economic partnership agreement (CEPA) in February 2022 to boost economic engagement.

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