External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will be on a three-day visit to Qatar from Monday to review overall bilateral relations, especially in the trade, investment, energy and security sectors, the External Affairs Ministry said.
“External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will pay an official visit to the State of Qatar from December 30 to January 1,” it said.
During his visit, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar is scheduled to meet Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar.
The Ministry of External Affairs said Mr Jaishankar’s visit will enable both sides to review various aspects of bilateral relations including political, trade, investment, energy, security, culture and people-to-people as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest. .
India-Qatar relations
India and Qatar enjoy friendly relations, marked by regular high-level interactions to further strengthen the partnership. Recently, during the official visit of External Affairs Minister Jaishankar to Qatar and Bahrain from 6 to 9 December, both the countries held bilateral talks.
During the visit, the Indian Minister held talks with Faisal bin Thani Al Thani, Minister of Commerce and Industry of Qatar, and Ahmed Al Saeed, Minister of State, on the sidelines of the Doha Forum.
In late October, the two countries also held the fifth round of Foreign Office Consultations. Both sides comprehensively reviewed the entire spectrum of India-Qatar bilateral relations including high-level exchanges, trade, investment, energy, education, culture and people-to-people relations.
The discussions also explored ways to deepen ties in areas such as renewable energy, fintech, start-ups and technology. As the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) pointed out in a press release, they exchanged views on important regional and global issues of mutual interest.
Earlier, on September 9, Jaishankar had met Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Saudi Arabia to discuss taking forward bilateral relations.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, cooperation between India and Qatar continues to grow within the excellent framework provided by the historically close relations and regular, substantive engagement at the highest levels of government. The large, diverse and accomplished Indian community in Qatar contributes significantly to the progress of the country, nurturing a bond of deep friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries.
