New Delhi, Feb 18 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Qatar's Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani on Tuesday signed an agreement to elevate India-Qatar relations to a Strategic Partnership with focus on trade, energy, investments, innovation, technology, food security, culture & people-to-people ties. Both leaders held wide-ranging talks at New Delhi's Hyderabad House, exchanging views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. Besides establishing bilateral strategic partnership relations, both leaders also witnessed the exchange of an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income.

Earlier, the Amir, who is accompanied by a high-level delegation that includes ministers, senior officials, and a business delegation, was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan. In the evening, the visiting leader will hold discussions with President Droupadi Murmu who will also host a banquet in his honour. In a special gesture, Prime Minister Modi travelled to the Air Force Station in Palam on Monday evening to receive the Amir on his landmark visit, his second to the country after March 2015. "Went to the airport to welcome my brother, Amir of Qatar H.H. Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani. Wishing him a fruitful stay in India and looking forward to our meeting tomorrow," the PM had posted on X after receiving Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani.

The Amir expressed his thanks to the Prime Minister, the Government of India and the friendly people of India for the warm welcome and generous hospitality, noting the depth of the historical relations between the two countries, and stressing that India is one of the most important economic partners of the State of Qatar. The exchange ceremony was attended by Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Chief of the Amiri Diwan Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Khulaifi, Minister of State for Energy Affairs Saad bin Sherida Al Kaabi, Minister of Labour Ali bin Saeed Al Marri, Minister of Communications and Information Technology Mohammed bin Ali Al Mannai, Minister of Commerce and Industry Sheikh Faisal bin Thani Al Thani and a number of other dignitaries.

"​India and Qatar have deep-rooted historical ties of friendship, trust and mutual respect. In recent years, the ties between the two countries including in the areas of trade, investment, energy, technology, culture and people-to-people ties have continued to strengthen," read a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), last week. The two countries have also witnessed regular high-level interactions among the leadership. After Amir's India visit in March 2015, PM Modi paid an official visit to Doha in June 2016 and in February 2024. The two leaders have also regularly met on the sidelines of other events, including the COP28 Summit in Dubai (December 2023) and the UN General Assembly.

After M Venkaiah Naidu (June 2022), Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar also visited Doha in November 2022 to attend the opening ceremony of FIFA World Cup. External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar has also had multiple interactions with Qatar's Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani in Doha and on the sidelines of India-GCC Foreign Ministers meeting held in Riyadh under the Chairmanship of Qatar. Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh visited Doha in October 2024 and participated in the 3rd Asia Cooperation Dialogue Summit and the 2nd ACD Business Forum while Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also travelled to Qatar to meet Qatar’s Minister of Communications and IT, Minister of Transport and Governor of QCB and Chairman of QIA.

"The Indian community residing in Qatar forms the largest expatriate community of Qatar, and is appreciated for its positive contribution in the progress and development of Qatar. The visit of His Highness the Amir will provide further momentum to our growing multifaceted partnership," the MEA states. With PM Modi committed to fostering longstanding, historic and close relations with all Gulf countries, India's relations with several countries in the Middle East region have been elevated, deepened and strengthened over the past 10 years. In December, Prime Minister Modi visited Kuwait - the first by an Indian PM to the key West Asian country in 43 years. Gulf countries are major trade and investment partners for India, and New Delhi also has a strong energy partnership with these countries.

PM Narendra Modi has also visited the UAE several times as a major transformation has been witnessed in India's ties with the Gulf region since 2014. The UAE-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), launched in May 2022, has significantly boosted economic and trade cooperation in a way that supports the national development goals of both countries. During his visit to New Delhi in December, Kuwait's Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al-Yahya called India as a "very important partner" and Prime Minister Modi as "one of the wisest persons" in the world.

/IANS