On Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a phone call with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani. The two discussed the creation of a special task force to facilitate investment by the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) into India. The two leaders also pledged to boost bilateral cooperation, explored the potential for Qatari investments in the energy sector in India, and reviewed the progress made in these areas. This move is part of India’s ongoing outreach activities to its important West Asian allies to deal with the economic challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Had a very pleasant conversation with my good friend @TamimBinHamad. Conveyed greetings for Qatar's forthcoming National Day. Qatar is a vital pillar of India's energy security and a valued source of FDI. We agreed to deepen our cooperation in all areas,” Modi tweeted following their conversation. The phone call came ahead of India’s external affairs minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Qatar and Kuwait, and a trip to Oman by the minister of state for external affairs, V Muraleedharan. On Tuesday, Indian Army chief General MM Naravane also left for a four-day trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, the first-ever visits by an army chief to either of the countries.
Last month at the virtual meet of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which was joined by senior officials of Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain, Jaishankar had thanked the GCC for taking care of Indian workers during the pandemic and also raised the idea of forming a travel bubble so that Indian workers and professionals currently waiting in India can resume work amid the easing of Covid-19-related restrictions.
India has been trying to expand its footprint in West Asia, which is home to around nine million Indian expatriates. It had earlier sent medical aid and rapid response teams to the region amid the pandemic and also tried to ensure that there was no disruption of food and essential supplies.
Following the talks between the Indian and Qatari leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s office released a statement saying that the leaders had “agreed to remain in regular touch, and looked forward to meeting in-person after the normalisation of the public-health situation caused by the covid-19 pandemic”.
Modi Meets With Qatar Emir as Part of Ongoing Outreach to West Asian Partners
Indian PM Narendra Modi and Qatar Emir Sheikh al-Thani discussed forming a task force to facilitate investment by the Qatar Investment Authority.
December 9, 2020
SOURCE: PTI