"Trade, energy, investment is what both sides are looking": MEA on ties with Qatar

During a special briefing on the state visit of the Amir of Qatar to India on Tuesday, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Secretary, CPV & OIA, Arun Kumar Chatterjee clarified that while security cooperation may be included in the strategic partnership, there is no active defence cooperation at this point.

"Regarding the strategic partnership part, we at this moment do not have any defence agreement or cooperation with Qatar. Maybe the strategic partnership agreement does talk about security as one of the areas of cooperation, which could be security-related dialogue between the two countries. At this moment, we are not talking about any kind of defence-related cooperation. Our main focus would be trade and energy; investment is what both sides are looking at and talking about," Chatterjee said.

This development comes as India and Qatar exchanged agreements on establishing a strategic partnership, in the presence of PM Modi and Amir of Qatar Al-Thani.

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi's discussion on the Israel-Hamas conflict with the Amir of Qatar, the MEA Secretary, CPV & OIA said, "Both the leaders talked about the regional and international issues of mutual interest. Naturally, the Middle East situation and the evolving situation over there came up for discussion. Both sides conveyed their mutual positions that we have on the Israel-Hamas issue. India conveyed its own position, the Qatari side conveyed its own position and we exchanged views. Both the leaders had discussions on that."

Meanwhile, regarding the condition of Indian workers living in Qatar, Chatterjee noted that a joint working group mechanism exists between the two countries to address concerns and further stated that the most recent meeting of the joint working group held just a week ago, did not raise any issues regarding worker conditions.

"We have a joint working group mechanism between India and Qatar. If there are any issues flagged to us, as far as the workers are concerned, that is discussed between the two joint working groups. The last joint working group just met a week ago, and there were no concerns regarding the workers' conditions over there. This much I can highlight," Chatterjee added.

Moreover, the Indian Ambassador to Qatar, Vipul, also confirmed that there were "no Guru Granth Sahibs in the custody of Qatari authorities," when asked about the status of the swarups that were taken by Qatari authorities last year.

Earlier today, the Amir of Qatar, who arrived in India on a two-day visit on Monday, received the Guard of Honour and a ceremonial welcome in the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Meanwhile, the Agreement on the Establishment of a Strategic Partnership between the two countries was exchanged in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar, at the Hyderabad House here in the national capital. (ANI)