PM Modi will go to Qatar in light of the Indian Marines' release to cement relations

PM Modi will go to Qatar in light of the Indian Marines' release to cement relations

The visit to Qatar will address a variety of bilateral agreements and regional concerns.

New Delhi: Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said at a news briefing on Monday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would travel to Doha, Qatar on Wednesday after the conclusion of his tour to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Meetings with top authorities and the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, are on PM Modi's itinerary while in Qatar. Modi's first trip to Qatar since 2016 is this one.

According to Kwatra, "India and Qatar have broad and continuously expanding bilateral relations that include political ties, economic and investment relations, our strong energy partnership, as well as ties in the fields of culture, education, and security." India is a significant investor, and the two nations' bilateral commerce is worth around $20 billion.

The visit is being announced at the same time that eight veterans of the Indian Navy who were previously given death sentences for espionage by a Qatari court in 2023 have been freed from prison. His employer was Al Dahra Company.

"We are very grateful that the Emir and the Qatari government decided to free him. It brings us joy to have seven of them back, who are Indian citizens. The eighth Indian has also been freed, and according to Kwatra, we will keep collaborating with the Qatari government to determine when it will be feasible for him to return to India.

According to him, PM Modi "personally monitored all developments" pertaining to the matter.

In December 2023, at the CoP28 climate conference in Dubai, PM Modi had a meeting with the Emir of Qatar. The death sentence for former Navy personnel was repealed shortly after that.

Wide-ranging bilateral relationships and regional issues will be discussed during the visit to Qatar.

A $78 billion extension was recently announced between Qatar, a significant LNG supplier to India, and Petronet LNG, an Indian company, to extend LNG supply until 2048. The 25-year arrangement expires in 2028. according to.

With almost 840,000 Indian expats living there, Qatar is significant to India.

"It is rather challenging to estimate Qatar's estimates in this regard. Undoubtedly, one aspect is Doha's desire to avoid irreversibly harming bilateral ties. Qatar desires positive ties with India, a country with a robust economy. Concerns like India's energy security and the investments made by Qatar's sovereign wealth fund were significant to India. Therefore, it was crucial that the imprisoned marines problem not cause bilateral ties to worsen. "It's a win-win situation," says Kabir Taneja, fellow at the Observer Research Foundation, which a think tank located in New Delhi. "It would be beneficial for both sides."