ISAS Briefs

On 10 February 2018, Narendra Modi became the first Indian prime minister to visit the Palestinian territories. He arrived in Ramallah in a helicopter from neighbouring Jordan, escorted by Israeli Air Force choppers. The trip to Jordan also marked a milestone as the first prime ministerial visit in 30 years. Next on the four-day agenda was the United Arab Emirates, where Modi was paying a second visit in less than three years, followed by a maiden visit for him to Oman. Aside from the fanfare and symbolism of Modi’s personalised style of diplomacy, there is clear strategic intent behind the efforts to deepen relations with countries to the west of India.