Qatar's Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad on Second State Visit to India: Strategic Partnership Agreement Signed, Relations Reach New Heights, Indian Nationals Released in Qatar

Qatar's Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad on Second State Visit to India: Strategic Partnership Agreement Signed, Relations Reach New Heights, Indian Nationals Released in Qatar

Delhi, February 18: India and Qatar have decided to elevate their relationship to a strategic partnership and focus more on trade and investment in the future. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Amir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, held discussions on various issues including the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), technology, energy, and people-to-people ties. Sheikh Tamim’s visit to India is his second state visit, invited by Prime Minister Modi.

India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are currently in discussions about establishing a free trade agreement, and the possibility of signing an FTA with Qatar in the future has also been explored, said Arun Kumar Chatterjee, Secretary (CPV & OIA) of the Ministry of External Affairs.

Notably, India and Qatar have signed an agreement to establish strategic relations between the two countries, with the signing witnessed by Prime Minister Modi, Qatar’s Foreign Minister Mohammad bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, and India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar.

Additionally, India and Qatar have signed agreements aimed at addressing issues of double taxation and preventing income tax evasion. The agreements were exchanged between the Prime Minister of Qatar and India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

On the same day, the Qatari government released 85 Indian nationals who had been detained in Qatari prisons. Currently, around 600 Indian nationals remain imprisoned there.

Last year, Qatari authorities seized two copies of the Guru Granth Sahib, and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs had stated that the government was in persistent discussions with the Qatari government on the matter. However, the Qatari Ambassador today clarified, "There are no copies of the Guru Granth Sahib in the custody of Qatari authorities."