New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar Sunday reviewed bilateral ties with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, including energy ties, trade, investment and political ties.
“Delighted to meet PM and FM of Qatar @MBA_AlThani_ in Doha this afternoon. Conveyed the greetings and warm wishes of PM @narendramodi to H.H. The Amir and him. Reviewed our bilateral relationship focusing on political, trade, investment, energy, technology, culture and people to people ties,” said Jaishankar in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
He added: “Exchanged views on regional and global issues. Appreciate his sharing insights on the Gaza situation. Look forward to the further enhancement of India-Qatar relations and continued dialogue on issues of mutual interest.”
Jaishankar’s visit is the second by an Indian leader this year, after Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani earlier in February.
Delighted to meet PM and FM of Qatar @MBA_AlThani_ in Doha this afternoon. Conveyed the greetings and warm wishes of PM @narendramodi to H.H. The Amir and him.
Reviewed our bilateral relationship focusing on political, trade, investment, energy, technology, culture and people… pic.twitter.com/GXuFYNukx7
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) June 30, 2024
“India and Qatar share historic and friendly relations which are marked by regular exchange of high-level visits. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had visited Qatar on 14-15 February 2024 and held discussions with Qatar’s Amir H.H. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani,” said the Ministry of External Affairs in a statement Saturday.
The visit comes nearly five months after the eight Indian Navy veterans jailed by Qatar in August 2022, were released, while seven returned to India on 12 February 2024. The eight veterans – seven officers and one sailor – were detained under accusations of spying on Qatar’s programme to obtain Italian-made submarines, as reported by ThePrint earlier.
One veteran remains in Qatar and is expected to return to the country after the completion of formalities.
Earlier this year, New Delhi also extended its Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) deal with Doha for 20 years, worth $78 billion, according to media reports.
The deal is estimated to save India $6 billion over the duration of its length. The deal was first signed 1999 and was a 25-year deal, which has now been extended till 2048.
Qatar is also home to close to 7.5 lakh Indians. Doha has also become an important trading partner for India.
Jaishankar’s day-long visit to Qatar is his third stand-alone visit and second to West Asia since assuming office for a second time earlier in June. He had earlier travelled to Sri Lanka for a day-long visit on 20 June, followed by a visit to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on 23 June.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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