Context : It is not known how many globular clusters may have been left undetected towards the Galactic bulge . Aims : One of the aims of the VISTA Variables in the Via Lactea ( VVV ) Survey is to accurately measure the physical parameters of the known globular clusters in the inner regions of the Milky Way and to search for new ones , hidden in regions of large extinction . Methods : Deep near infrared images give deep JHK _ { S } -band photometry of a region surrounding the known globular cluster UKS 1 and reveal a new low-mass globular cluster candidate that we name VVV CL001 . Results : We use the horizontal branch red clump in order to measure E ( B-V ) \sim 2.2 mag , ( m - M ) _ { 0 } = 16.01 mag , and D=15.9 kpc for the globular cluster UKS 1 . Based on the near-infrared colour magnitude diagrams , we also measure that VVV CL001 has E ( B-V ) \sim 2.0 , and that it is at least as metal-poor as UKS 1 , however , its distance remains uncertain . Conclusions : Our finding confirms the previous projection that the central region of the Milky Way harbors more globular clusters . VVV CL001 and UKS 1 are good candidates for a physical cluster binary , but follow-up observations are needed to decide if they are located at the same distance and have similar radial velocities .