Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday night reached Delhi airport from Doha, Qatar where he represented India at the inauguration of the FIFA World Cup 2022.
During his visit to Qatar, Dhankhar addressed the Indian community and lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi's effort during the COVID-19 lockdown that ensured food grains to over 80 crore people in the country.
"During the COVID-19 lockdown, PM Modi took the decision to ensure that over 80 crore people in the country will be given essential food grains. The scheme began on April 1, 2020, and still continues to run," said Dhankhar.
He also highlighted that by 2050, India will become the second-largest global economy.
In his maiden address as Vice President to the Indian diaspora in the Doha capital, Dhankhar said, "Our Bharat, under the dynamic and visionary leadership of the honorable Prime Minister, is on the rise. Bharat is on the rise as never before and our rise is unstoppable."
He said the world feels challenged today and in these challenging times, India stands out with its commendable achievements.
"Even on the economic front, we have achieved what was deemed unthinkable sometime before. It was difficult to even imagine how we would achieve the goal of a five trillion economy. However, just some time back, India became the third-largest economy, surpassing our colonial masters (Great Britain). It was a great achievement. I have no doubt that it will go down as a milestone accomplishment," Dhankhar said.
The Vice President added that the eight hundred thousand Indians living in Qatar have a lot to do with what India has achieved globally to date. Dhankhar
The Vice President is on a two-day official visit of the country, which is currently hosting the FIFA football World Cup, on the personal invitation of the Emir. "This is a remarkable moment for the region and Qatar. This is the first time that the World Cup is being held in this part of the world, and so close to India. The Vice President's visit sends a very strong message of the very close ties between India and Qatar," the Emir said.
Further underlining the importance of Dhankhar's visit, the Indian ambassador to Qatar, Deepak Mittal said it was a historic moment.
"It will be an important milestone in the India-Qatar partnership and relationship. We are also going to celebrate the 50th year of the establishment of full diplomatic relations between India and Qatar next year," he said.
On the bilateral front, the Indian envoy said the two countries have a strong, multifaceted bilateral cooperation which encompasses many areas like trade, investment, energy, people-to-people (ties), culture and education.
"This visit certainly deepens the bond of friendship and will be very important for strengthening the bilateral relationship," he said.
( With inputs from ANI )
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