Jaishankar thanks Qatar Dy PM for taking good care of Indians during coronavirus pandemic

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday thanked Qatari Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani for taking "good care" of the Indian diaspora in the Gulf nation during the coronavirus pandemic. Jaishankar conveyed his appreciation to Al Thani, who is also the foreign minister of Qatar, during a telephonic conversation.

"Warm conversation with DPM & FM @MBA_AlThani_of Qatar. Discussed the follow-up to the PM-Amir talk on 8 December. Thanked him for taking good care of the Indian community during COVID. Looking forward to an early meeting with him," Jaishankar tweeted.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Qatar's Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani held a telephonic conversation on Tuesday during which the two leaders resolved to boost bilateral cooperation in the fields of investment flows and energy security.

It was also decided to create a special task force to further facilitate investments by the Gulf country into India. There are around 7,56,000 Indian nationals residing in Qatar and they comprise the largest expatriate community in the country.

On Wednesday, the two sides reviewed various aspects of bilateral ties at the sixth meeting of India-Qatar joint committee on labour and manpower development, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

It said the Qatari side expressed positive sentiments towards Indian workers and professionals and the contributions they have made to regional development.

The MEA said the meeting, held in the virtual format, provided an opportunity to discuss and review the entire gamut of labour and manpower cooperation related issues between the two countries.

"They welcomed the recent labour reform measures adopted by Qatar. Both sides agreed on institutionalizing measures to promote and protect the rights of the workers, including settlement of labour issues and facilitate movement of people between the two countries, in a safe and secure manner," it said.

The Indian delegation at the meeting was led by Abbagani Ramu, joint secretary in the overseas Indian affairs division in the MEA while the Qatari side was headed by Mohammed Hassan Alobaidly, assistant undersecretary for labour affairs in the ministry of administrative development, labour and social affairs.

The ties between India and Qatar have expanded in a range of areas including defence and trade in the last few years. India's bilateral trade with Qatar in 2018-19 was USD 12.33 billion, according to official data. 

(Photo Credit: Twitter/MEAIndia)