New Delhi: A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi personally went to receive Qatari ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani at the airport, India and Qatar on Tuesday (February 18) announced a “strategic partnership”, a Qatari commitment to invest $10 billion, and the goal of doubling bilateral trade in five years.
The emir of Qatar arrived in India to a red-carpet welcome from the government, a year after pardoning eight former Indian naval officers sentenced to death on unspecified charges.
Modi personally greeted him at the airport, a gesture he has extended to only four other heads of state in the past 15 years.
Following their formal talks on Tuesday, the two leaders witnessed the exchange of documents on seven pacts, including the agreement on establishing a bilateral strategic partnership.
“In light of the newly established Strategic Partnership, the two sides reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen the bilateral relations through regular and structured cooperation in all areas, including political, trade, investment, security, energy, culture, education, technology, innovation, sustainability and people-to-people ties,” said the joint statement issued at the conclusion of the visit.
Qatar is now the fifth Gulf country after Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates with which India has a strategic partnership.
The two sides also signed a revised ‘Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with Respect to Taxes on Income and its Protocol’.
The joint statement announced that Qatar has committed to investing $10 billion in India, a sharp increase from its current investment of $1.5 billion, according to Indian government figures.
With bilateral trade currently at around $14.8 billion, both sides agreed “to set the target to double bilateral trade by 2030”.
“The two sides noted that trade and commerce has been a strong pillar of bilateral economic cooperation between the two countries and emphasised on the potential for further growth and diversification in bilateral trade,” said the joint statement.
It continued: “The two sides welcomed the elevation of the existing Joint Working Group on Trade and Commerce into a Joint Commission on Trade and Commerce. The Joint Commission will be an institutional mechanism to review and monitor the entire spectrum of economic ties between the two countries and will be headed by the Ministers of Commerce and Industry on both sides.”
There was also a decision to explore the possibility of a bilateral Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
On political issues, the Gaza conflict was discussed, according to secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs Arun Chatterjee.
“Naturally, the Middle East situation and the evolving situation over there came up for discussions. Both sides conveyed their mutual positions that we have on the Israel-Hamas issue. India conveyed its own position, the Qatari side conveyed their own position and we exchanged views. Both the leaders had discussions on that,” he said.
Asked whether India raised the issue of the remaining former Indian naval officer in Qatar, Chatterjee said: “Regarding the navy official who is still over there, I would like to just mention that his matter still remains sub-judice in the local courts in Qatar. And as I mentioned, the honorable prime minister appreciated the work that Amir and his government is doing in the protection and the welfare of our Indian citizens”.