Doha: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday landed in the Qatari capital, Doha, where he received an arousing welcome from the Indian diaspora and later held a meeting with his counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. In a social media post, the Prime Minister dubbed the meeting "wonderful" and asserted he has discussed ways to strengthen ties between the two nations. "The two leaders exchanged views on expanding bilateral cooperation in sectors such as trade, investment, energy, finance, and technology. They also discussed recent regional developments in West Asia and emphasized the importance of upholding peace and stability in the region and beyond. Thereafter, Prime Minister attended a dinner hosted in his honour by the Prime Minister of Qatar," according to the statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs.
Second visit of PM Modi
Notably, he arrived in Doha on Wednesday night on an official visit to Qatar. This is the prime minister’s second visit to Qatar, he first visited Qatar in June 2016. “Had a wonderful meeting with PM @MBA_AlThani. Our discussions revolved around ways to boost India-Qatar friendship,” Modi said in a post on X after the meeting.
Earlier, the external affairs ministry said Modi held “fruitful” talks with the prime minister of Qatar. "PM @narendramodi held a fruitful meeting with HH @MBA_AlThani_, PM & FM of Qatar in Doha. Discussions covered expanding bilateral cooperation in sectors such as trade & investment, energy, finance among others," external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X.
PM Modi meets Qatari counterpart days after release of Indian Navy veterans
PM 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.”
