Union Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan on Sunday met Qatar's State Minister for Foreign Affairs, H.E Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi in Doha during his first official visit to the country.
MoS, with his counterpart, held discussions on various topics related to the development of both countries.
"Delighted to meet Qatar's State Minister for Foreign Affairs, H.E Mr Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi in Doha. Had a productive discussion on Energy, Trade, Investment, Education, P2P contacts and diaspora welfare. Confident that the partnership will continue to clock newer heights," tweeted Union Minister.
The Union Minister is on an official visit to Qatar from May 8-10. On reaching Doha, he tweeted, "Happy to be in Doha on my first official visit, Significant, as India and Qatar mark 50 years of diplomatic relations. Look forward to my interactions with the Leadership and Indian community."
Earlier, in a statement, the external affairs ministry (MEA) said, "During the visit, MoS will hold discussions with his counterpart Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Hassan bin Abdulla Al-Ghanim, Speaker of the Shura Council, and other Qatari dignitaries."
MoS will also meet a wide cross-section of the Indian community in Qatar, including those working in areas of community welfare, business, health, culture, education, engineering, accountancy, and Indian veterans.
He will be participating in Labour Day celebrations with the blue-collar workers from India. The Indian community will host a reception and a cultural event to mark Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav during the visit of MOS.
MEA said that the visit of the Minister of State for External Affairs would add to the momentum of the multifaceted bilateral cooperation. Both countries share excellent bilateral relations ranging across - political, economic, defence, cultural and educational fields, which have further strengthened in the past few years. The leadership of both countries has maintained close contact during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Qatar is home to over 700,000 Indians. The bilateral trade crossed USD 15 billion in FY 2021-22 and Qatar's investments in India have increased five folds over the past two years.
Both countries will be celebrating the golden jubilee of the establishment of full diplomatic relations in 2023.
( With inputs from ANI )
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