Jaishankar on 2-day visit to Qatar; set to meet gulf nation's leadership & strengthen ties

Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar is on a two-day visit to Qatar from December 27 to 28. In his maiden visit to the gulf country as India’s foreign minister, he will meet his Qatari counterpart and Deputy PM Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani along with other dignitaries. Both India and Qatar have strong economic, political and cultural ties which are propelled by frequent meetings and interactions between leaders from both sides, the release regarding his visit stated.

As part of his visit, Jaishankar is scheduled to discuss bilateral issues, including trade and security as well as regional issues of mutual interest. In addendum, the Indian diplomat-turned-minister would also convey gratitude to the state of Qatar for taking care of and providing necessary support to the Indians stuck in Qatar during a pandemic. Currently, Qatar hosts as many as 7 lakh Indians.

“India and Qatar have maintained close high-level contacts during the Covid-19 pandemic. Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi and the Amir of the State of Qatar, HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani have spoken thrice on the telephone in the past few months, “ the ministry wrote asserting mutual cooperation during the pandemic.

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India-Qatar relations

India and Qatar enjoy strong economic, cultural and people-to-people ties. Both the countries enjoyed trade worth US $10.95  billion in 2019-20. Both sides remain committed to intensifying bilateral cooperation in various fields including energy and investments. India and Qatar have also worked together to face the Covid-19 pandemic and coordinated smooth operation of flights under an Air Bubble arrangement.

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This comes as Jaishankar launched the Economic Diplomacy Website indbiz.gov.in which will serve the purpose of connecting the businesses in the country to the world. The website will also enhance the exports, employment opportunities and business in India. "The website will serve as a two-way funnel connecting our nationals, businesses and the States globally for enhancing exports, exploring employment and attracting foreign industry and business to India," Jaishankar said.

Read: External Affairs Minister Jaishankar Speaks To Afghan Foreign Minister Haneef Atmar