On Thursday, Indian PM Narendra Modi thanked the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, for the release of eight Indian nationals who were on death row.
This was Modi’s first visit to Qatar after the Navy veterans working for Al-Dahra were released following an 18-month detention on espionage charges.
Meeting with the Emir
Qatari Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi welcomed the Indian PM at the airport. He was given a ceremonial welcome on arrival at the Amiri Palace, where he met the Emir.
Modi held restricted and delegation-level discussions with the Emir. A broad range of subjects were discussed, including investments, people-to-people relationships, energy partnerships, urban infrastructure, cultural links, and economic cooperation.
India and Qatar ties are growing stronger and stronger!
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 15, 2024
Here are glimpses from today’s ceremonial welcome. pic.twitter.com/3TuZxi5ZJu
The two sides also discussed the need for strategic investment and strategic partnership in the field of energy and technology, as well as regional and international challenges.
Modi expressed India’s commitment to advancing and strengthening bilateral relations with Qatar and thanked the Emir for looking after the more than 800,000-strong Indian community in Qatar. He also invited the Emir to visit India.
Meanwhile, the Emir conveyed gratitude for India’s position as a valued partner in the Gulf and echoed the PM’s remarks. The active Indian community’s contributions to Qatar’s growth and their passionate involvement in the country’s numerous international events were also acknowledged by the Arab leader.
The meeting was followed by a banquet lunch at the Amiri Palace hosted in honour of PM Modi. Following the visit, Modi said that Dpha has added new vigour to the India-Qatar friendship. He remarked that India looks forward to scaling up cooperation in key sectors relating to trade, investment, technology, and culture.
Meeting with Father Emir
The PM also met Father Emir Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani in Doha and commended him for his inspirational leadership in setting the path for Qatar’s growth over the previous few decades. The two leaders talked about the relationship between Qatar and India. Modi expressed his gratitude for Father Emir’s perceptive remarks on regional and international events.
Father Emir stated that mutual trust and cooperation are the cornerstones of the “unwavering bond” between Qatar and India. He also appreciated the role of the Indian community in Qatar’s development and in nourishing the bilateral partnership.
An exceptional welcome in Doha! Grateful to the Indian diaspora. pic.twitter.com/malGuS3jFW
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 14, 2024
Exploring Partnership in Space, Technology
Modi’s last visit to Qatar was in 2016. Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said that the visit was focused on consolidating the wide-ranging partnership between the two countries across different fields of economic cooperation.
“The visit has set the stage and laid the basis for taking the India-Qatar relationship to a much higher level across the whole domain of cooperation,” Kwatra said, adding that the visit has set the stage for investigating collaboration in some new areas such as space, technology, and innovation.