External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to embark on visit to Qatar tomorrow

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is set to pay an official visit to Qatar on June 30, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Saturday.

During the visit, Jaishankar will meet the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.

“India and Qatar share historic and friendly relations marked by regular exchange of high-level visits. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Qatar on 14-15 February 2024 and held discussions with Qatar’s Amir H.H. Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani,” the MEA said in an official release.

Jaishankar’s visit to the Gulf nation will enable both sides to review various aspects of bilateral relations including political, trade, investment, energy, security, cultural, and people-to-people as well as the regional and international issues of mutual interest.

In June first week, the first meeting of the Joint Task Force on Investment (JTFI) between India and Qatar was convened in New Delhi. The meeting was aimed at strengthening investment cooperation between the two countries.

The joint task force was co-chaired by Ajay Seth, Secretary of the Department of Economic Affairs under the Ministry of Finance, and Mohamed bin Hassen Al-Malki, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Qatar.

As per a statement from the Ministry of Finance, the joint task force on investment has reaffirmed the commitment of both nations to strengthen bilateral relations and to leverage the collective potential for accelerated growth, investment opportunities, and synergistic collaboration across diverse sectors ranging from infrastructure and energy to technology and innovation.

They also underscored the significance of the robust economic relationship between India and Qatar, rooted in shared values, common objectives, and a shared vision for inclusive development.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on the sidelines of the COP28 summit in Dubai and discussed bilateral partnerships and the “well-being of the Indian community” in Qatar.