External affairs minister S Jaishankar met Qatar’s Amir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thon in Doha on Sunday to discuss strengthening bilateral ties and expanding collaboration between the two nations, following recent high-level engagements, including Prime Minister Modi’s phone conversation and commerce minister Piyush Goyal’s visit to Qatar.Jaishankar shared details of the meeting on social media platform X, stating: “Honoured to call on H H Tamim Bin Hamad, the Amir of Qatar, in Doha today. Conveyed the warm greetings of PM Narendra Modi and reiterated our commitment to stronger India-Qatar relations. Value his guidance on expanding collaboration and exploring new opportunities.”
The meeting follows Union minister Piyush Goyal’s October visit to Qatar, where he met with Qatar Development Bank CEO Abdulrahman Hesham Al-Sowaidi and expressed satisfaction over Qatari businesses’ interest in Indian opportunities.Goyal co-chaired the India-Qatar Joint Commission on Economic and Commercial Cooperation meeting with Qatar’s minister of commerce and industry, Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al Thani.During his visit, Goyal launched India’s UPI payment system at Lulu Hypermarket in Doha, enabling seamless transactions between both countries as part of India’s global digital payment expansion strategy.In September, Prime Minister Modi and Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani held a phone conversation reaffirming their commitment to the India-Qatar strategic partnership.The leaders expressed satisfaction over the continued progress in bilateral relations, particularly in trade, investment, and security cooperation areas.During the call, PM Modi voiced concern over recent Israeli strikes in Doha targeting Hamas leaders, condemning the violation of Qatar’s sovereignty.Modi appreciated Qatar’s mediation efforts in the Gaza conflict, including its work toward securing a ceasefire and facilitating hostage release.Sheikh Tamim thanked PM Modi for India’s solidarity with Qatar during the challenging period and appreciated India’s support in promoting regional peace.
