S Jaishankar to visit Qatar on Sunday; focus on boosting energy and trade ties

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will travel to Qatar on Sunday to hold talks with Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani with a focus on exploring ways to expand bilateral cooperation in areas of trade, investment and energy.

Jaishankar's visit comes four-and-half months after Qatar released eight former Indian Navy personnel, who were sentenced to death after being arrested in August 2022.

"During the visit, he will meet the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

It said the visit would "enable both sides to review various aspects of bilateral relations, including political, trade, investment, energy, security, cultural and people-to-people as well as the regional and international issues of mutual interest".It is expected that Jaishankar and Al Thani would also deliberate on the overall situation in West Asia against the backdrop of Israel's continuing military offensives in Gaza.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Qatar from February 14 to 15 and held discussions with Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani."India and Qatar share historic and friendly relations which are marked by regular exchange of high-level visits," the MEA said in a statement.

India and Qatar are looking at broadbasing trade basket with a view to link it to regional trade.