It can now be said that the rich of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Tani, this week was a very successful journey to India. A long, strong partnership got a new lease of life after Sheikh’s last visit a decade ago. Both India and Qatar are important for each other, and both sides have enriched their strength for a meaningful partnership. The importance of bilateral relations can be seen from the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally broke the protocol to achieve rich on arrival here. Bilateral relations came under a cloud in recent times, but they have now rebooted happily.
mutual benefit
India, currently the fifth largest economy in the world, as well as the fastest growing, is slang to be the world’s third largest economy in 2027, according to the fastest growing, the fastest growing, the fastest growing. It is a labor force and a military power. On the other hand, one of the world’s richest countries, Qatar, is an energy powerhouse that has carved a unique niche for himself with its unusual foreign policy.
Qatar meets 45% of India’s LNG needs; It creates about half of the total bilateral trade of $ 15 billion between the two countries and is a source of heavy remittance from Indian migrant workers in the country. In turn, the modern Qatar is built on the back of Indian labor, which, while being hardworking, holds a low profile. The joint statement issued during Amir’s visit said that “the Qatari leadership expressed deep praise for the role and contribution made by the Indian community for the progress and development of his host country by the Indian community in Qatar, given that In Qatar, Indian citizens are given a lot of respect for them.
About all money
Business, commerce and energy are at the center of current bilateral relations. Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund has a $ 1.5 billion FDI in India, and a joint statement states that the Katri side will invest $ 10 billion in the country. The two sides have committed to double their business to $ 28 billion over the next five years, and are searching for the possibility of signing a free trade agreement.
Therefore, the height of Indo-Qatar bilateral relations for a strategic partnership is quite logical, given that India also enjoys such partnership with other Gulf countries such as Saudi Arabia and UAE.
Middle east in flux
This reboot of relations comes in a significant moment in both international and region in history. The Hamas-Israel, starting in October 2023, is looking at some big innings and changes in view of the war. While Hamas is almost crushed- he is Hizbollah, with Iran from Shia Crescent- Israel has captured a significant area in Lebanon and Syria. Bashar al -Assad’s rule in Syria has fallen, and Russia has lost its strategic impacts and bases in the country. Islamist forces are on climbing and playing an important role in the politics of the Qatar region.
While Qatar hosts us and Turkish military bases in its region, it has also placed the Taliban and Hamas on its soil. The arbitration has been an important pillar of Qatar’s foreign policy. This helped to facilitate interaction between the US and the Taliban between various Palestinian groups, for the exchange of children between Russia and Ukraine, and even India and the Taliban. After the 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel, the former came under immense international investigation. As a prominent stakeholder, Qatar helped to mediate the Hamax-Israel ceasefire and hostage exchange as well as prisoner swaps. At the same time, after being under pressure from Arab Gulf states to support Islamic groups in the region for years, Qatar now finds its proto on the rudder in Syria. As US President Donald Trump announced his “Riviera” plans for Gaza, the Arab world is in a tizzy to resolve the Palestinian issue, where Qatar remains a major stakeholder. Travel to India is very important against this background.
Getting over a recession
Not for a very long time, Qatar’s bilateral relations came under a cloud, such as people, such as energy, trade and people to contact people with India. This was mostly done with intra-aerb crack in view of Arab spring, where Qatar and other Gulf states, such as UAE and Saudi Arabia, found themselves on the opposite edges of partition. Although India enjoys strong strategic partnership with UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, it maintained a neutral stance, even helped Qatar help in goods and food supply when under a blockade. .
Eight Indian Navy officials were arrested and guilty in Qatar on charges of espionage for more frightening Israel. It is widely believed that it was an arm twisting method used by Qatar to achieve India to sign a 20 -year LNG deal. It wanted to renew India to the current contract, which was ending in 2028. India chased both legal tracks as well as diplomatic one, in which NSA Ajit Dawal and Foreign Minister Dr. S. With several trips to Gulf Sheikhadam by Jaishankar. Even PM Modi personally intervened with Katri Amir. His release was the result of a royal forgiveness from Amir. Along with this, India also told the quarters that there would be no contract expansion until the authorities were released and India had options for Katri LNG.
Why Indian market matters
Along with oil and gas accounting for 70% of Qatar’s total revenue- the third largest store in the world is- Indian market is important for this. Furthermore, according to the International Energy Agency, India will create the largest part of the increase in demand for energy-Agale probably 25%in two decades-because by 2030 it overtakes the European Union as the third largest energy consumer in the world by 2030. . Gas imports. The search for India to create infection for cleaner energy in India is also expected to increase. No wonder both sides were provided a joint details to work on further enhancing bilateral energy cooperation. The release of Navy men reflected these priorities, which later increased before the Prime Minister’s visit to Qatar in February and then before Amir’s visit to India.
In the world undergoing a vast churning, India’s relations with the Gulf Cooperation Council have been stable and is also a source of stability in the South Asia-West Asia region. This cannot be different for India’s relations with Qatar.
(Aditi Bhaduri is a journalist and political analyst)
Disclaimer: These are the personal opinions of the author
