India, Jan. 19 -- India and the United Arab Emirates on Monday unveiled plans for finalising a strategic defence partnership and a 10-year agreement for the supply of 0.5 million tonnes of LNG per year, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed setting a target for doubling bilateral trade to $200 billion over the next six years.

Modi personally received the UAE leader, popularly known as MBZ, on his arrival in New Delhi with a hug, and they travelled in the same vehicle to the Prime Minister's residence - reflecting the importance attached by India to relations with the West Asian state, home to almost 4.5 million Indians and a key energy supplier.

Though the visit lasted only about three hours, Modi ...