India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar (file photo)
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is going on an official visit to Qatar on Sunday as announced by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Saturday.
During his one-day trip, Jaishankar will meet with Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.
India and Qatar have long-standing and amicable relations characterized by frequent high-level exchanges. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Qatar earlier this year on February 14-15, where he engaged in discussions with Qatar's Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.
"The visit by EAM Jaishankar will provide an opportunity for both nations to review various dimensions of their bilateral ties, including political, trade, investment, energy, security, cultural, and people-to-people exchanges, as well as regional and international matters of mutual interest," the MEA stated.
During his previous visit to Doha, Prime Minister Modi expressed his gratitude to Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for the care given to the over 800,000-strong Indian community in Qatar. Modi reaffirmed India's commitment to enhancing bilateral cooperation with Qatar, which was warmly reciprocated by the Emir.
The Emir praised India's role as a key partner in the Gulf region and acknowledged the contributions of the vibrant Indian community to Qatar's development and their active participation in international events hosted by Qatar.
Bilateral trade between India and Qatar stands at approximately $20 billion. The two countries also share a multifaceted partnership in the energy sector, which includes energy trade and other segments of the energy supply chain, reinforcing their collaboration in energy security. Following Prime Minister Modi's visit, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra highlighted the significance of this partnership.
In February, during the India Energy Week held in Goa, India and Qatar signed an agreement for the supply of 7.5 MMtpa LNG from Qatar to India for 20 years, beginning in 2028.
This upcoming visit will mark EAM Jaishankar's third official trip during the third term of the Narendra Modi-led government. His previous visits included trips to Sri Lanka on June 20 and the UAE on June 23.