Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Qatar counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, discussed bilateral cooperation in sectors such as trade, investment, energy, finance, and technology, in a meeting in Doha on Wednesday.
“They also discussed recent regional developments in West Asia and emphasised the importance of upholding peace and stability in the region and beyond,” according to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday.
Qatar is India’s leading trade partner, with annual bilateral trade at about $20 billion, according to government figures. Qatar is also a significant investor in India and has a strong Indian diaspora of roughly 840,000.
Modi visited Doha after his two-day visit to the UAE, where he met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the two witnessed the signing of eight agreements for cooperation in areas ranging from investments and energy to digital infrastructure.
While information on Modi’s visit to the UAE was shared by the MEA last week, the extended trip to Doha was announced on Monday. It followed the release of the eight Indian Navy veterans who were imprisoned in Qatar for over three months.
Modi also attended a dinner hosted in his honour by the Qatar PM on Wednesday.