MoS Muraleedharan in Doha talks with his Qatari counterpart on energy, trade and well-being of the diaspora

Doha/New Delhi, May 8 (UNI) Minister of State for External Affairs, V Muraleedharan, who is on a three-day visit to Qatar, held talks on Sunday with Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi, during which they discussed energy, trade, investment and the welfare of the diaspora, among other issues. In tweets, the MoS said: “Glad to meet Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, HE Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi in Doha. “We had productive discussions on energy, trade, investment, education, P2P contacts and the well-being of the diaspora. “Convinced that the partnership will continue to reach new heights.” The Qatar’s Foreign Ministry said in a brief statement that the two ministers reviewed the bilateral cooperation relations between the two countries during the meeting.Upon his arrival in Doha, Muraleedharan posted: “Glad to be in Doha for my first official visit. Significant as India and Qatar mark 50 years of diplomatic relations. Look forward to my interactions with Indian leadership and community. MoS is also to meet with Hassan bin Abdulla Al-Ghanim, Chairman of the Shura Council and other Qatari dignitaries. He will also meet with a broad cross-section of the Indian community in Qatar, including those working in the areas of community welfare, business, health, culture, education, engineering, accounting and Indian veterans. He will participate in the Labor Day celebrations with India’s blue collar workers. The Indian community will hold a reception and cultural event to mark Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav during the MOS visit. The visit of the Minister of State for External Affairs would add to the impetus of multifaceted bilateral cooperation. The two countries maintain excellent bilateral relations in the political, economic, defense, cultural and educational fields, which have been further strengthened in recent years. The leaders of the two countries have maintained close contact during the Covid-19 pandemic, an official statement said earlier. Qatar is home to over 700,000 Indians. Bilateral trade exceeded $15 billion in the 2021-22 financial year and Qatar’s investment in India has increased fivefold over the past two years. The two countries will celebrate the Golden Jubilee of establishing full diplomatic relations in 2023. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was in the Qatari capital on February 9 during which he held talks with the Qatari Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman. Al-Thani on the bilateral economic and security partnership as well as on Afghanistan. Later, EAM unveiled the foundation stone for the new Indian Embassy complex in Doha, with the event honored by Qatari FM. EAM Jaishankar had made official visits to Doha in December 2020, June 2021 and August 2021 as well. UNI RN