PM Modi in Doha: Talked with Qatar counterpart on boosting bilateral ties

The external affairs ministry announced on Thursday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani of Qatar had productive discussions about bilateral cooperation in areas like trade and investment, energy, and finance. On a formal visit to Qatar, Prime Minister Modi landed in Doha on Wednesday night. The Prime Minister first traveled to Qatar in June 2016; this is his second visit there. “HH @MBA_AlThani_, PM & FM of Qatar, met with PM @narendramodi in Doha and had a productive meeting. Expanding bilateral cooperation in areas like trade and investment, energy, and finance was discussed, according to a spokesman for the external affairs ministry named Randhir Jaiswal, who posted on X. On his arrival, Modi was received by Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi, State Minister for Foreign Affairs, at the airport. During his two-day visit, Prime Minister Modi attended a dinner hosted in his honour by Qatar’s Prime Minister llency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. On Thursday, the Prime Minister will meet the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and hold talks on bilateral as well as regional and global issues, the ministry said in a press release. After his arrival in Doha, Modi posted that he was looking forward to a fruitful visit which will deepen bilateral ties. “Landed in Doha. Looking forward to a fruitful Qatar visit which will deepen India-Qatar friendship,” Modi wrote on X. Modi reached Doha after a whirlwind two-day trip to the UAE, where he addressed a well-attended Indian diaspora event, the prestigious World Governments Summit, and also inaugurated UAE’s first Hindu stone temple among other engagements. India’s announcement on Modi’s visit to the Qatari capital came on Monday, hours after seven out of eight jailed former Indian Navy personnel returned home, nearly three-and-half months after a Qatari court handed them a death sentence that was subsequently commuted to jail terms ranging from three to 25 years. Qatar released all the eight Indians. The former Indian Navy personnel apparently faced charges of espionage, but neither the Qatari authorities nor New Delhi made the charges against them public. Modi, in his departure statement, also said the presence of over 8,00,000-strong Indian community in Doha is a testament to our strong people-to-people ties. (with inputs from PTI)