On February 14, 2024, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi arrived in Qatar for a two-day official visit. H.E. Mr. Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi, who is the State Minister for Foreign Affairs, received PM Modi at the Doha airport and gave him a warm welcome. Shri Narendra Modi’s first visit to Qatar was in June 2016. After almost 8 years, PM Modi has paid a second visit to the country to further bilateral relations.
Meeting with the Prime Minister of Qatar:
His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who is the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar met PM Modi on February 14. Both leaders spoke about the importance of deepening bilateral ties between the two countries. Trade, investment, finance, energy, and technology were some of the sectors under consideration. They also discussed the importance of upholding peace and security in the West Asian region. According to PM Modi’s official website, their discussions “revolved around ways to boost India-Qatar friendship.” The meeting was followed by a dinner hosted by the Prime Minister of Qatar in honour of PM Modi.
Meeting with Father Amir:
On February 15, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi met with His Highness Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani. He is popularly referred to as Father Amir by the Qatari government. Both the leaders had a discussion about India-Qatar relations. During the meeting, PM Modi applauded Father Amir’s vision and leadership that had led Qatar to commendable development. Furthermore, PM Modi also congratulated Father Amir for his keen observations on issues of local and global importance. On his part, Father Amir affirmed that both countries shared deep relations based on bonds of mutual trust and cooperation. He particularly commended the Indian diaspora in Qatar which has played a vital role in Qatar’s development and furthered the bilateral ties between the two countries.
Meeting with the Amir of Qatar:
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi met with the Amir of Qatar His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the Amiri Palace on February 15. After receiving a ceremonial welcome from the esteemed host, PM Modi held delegation-level meetings and restricted talks. Some of the topics covered in the meeting were economic cooperation, investments, space collaboration, urban infrastructure, energy partnerships, cultural bonds and people-to-people ties. Both the leaders also discussed regional and global issues of primary importance. PM Modi offered his gratitude to the Amir for taking care of the sizable Indian diaspora that resides in Qatar. He ascertained India’s commitment to expanding bilateral cooperation with Qatar.
On his part, the Amir also highlighted the important contributions of the 8 lakh Indians living in Qatar to the country’s development. He also noted their regular participation in all international events that take place in Qatar. The Amir reciprocated PM Modi’s sentiments and appreciated India’s role as a significant partner in the Gulf region. A grand banquet followed the meeting, hosted by the Amir in honour of PM Modi. Shri Narendra Modi later observed on Twitter that they “reviewed the full range of India-Qatar relations and discussed ways to deepen cooperation across various sectors. Our nations also look forward to collaborating in futuristic sectors that will benefit our planet.”
India and Qatar have a rich history of friendship and bilateral cooperation. This is further compounded by the presence of a prosperous Indian diaspora in Qatar. Such high-level visits and exchanges between the leadership of both countries will only deepen ties and foster global peace and security.
