Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar’s proposed visit to Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been delayed by two days due to scheduling issues. He was to have left New Delhi on Tuesday night.
Defence sources said that the trip was now rescheduled to May 20-23 instead of May 18 earlier.
He will travel to Oman from May 20-22 and the UAE from 22-23. He would be the first Indian Defence Minister on a bilateral visit to the UAE.
While Oman is India’s closest security partner in the Gulf, relations with the UAE have improved in recent times. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the UAE last year, both sides agreed on a strategic security dialogue and to expand cooperation in maritime security and defence production.
