Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned to New Delhi on February 15 after his historic visits to the UAE – his seventh since taking office – and Qatar. While in the UAE, he presided over the grand opening of BAPS Hindu Mandir in the region and ‘Ahlan Modi’ event, his Qatar visit assumed significance in the backdrop of recent developments.
During his meeting with the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani in Doha, the PM thanked him for his support for the welfare of the over eight lakh strong Indian community. He also expressed his appreciation to the Emir for the release of eight Indian nationals, who were facing capital punishment after their arrest in August 2022.
The release marked a significant diplomatic breakthrough with PM Modi himself engaging with Qatari leaders during the COP28 Summit in Dubai in last December.
Bilateral cooperation
PM Modi and the Emir also discussed a wide range of areas of bilateral cooperation, including trade partnership, space collaboration, investment cooperation, and energy ties.
India-Qatar cooperation in diverse sectors has been steadily growing in an excellent framework provided by historically close ties and regular and substantive engagement, including at the highest levels of the two Governments. Trade between India and Qatar currently stands at roughly $20 billion and the country is also a significant investor in India. Almost half of India’s LNG requirement and a significant portion of its LPG needs come from Qatar.
Thanks Qatar Emir for release of Indian nationals
India-UAE trade
Earlier, on February 13, he met UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi. The two leaders endorsed the efforts from both sides to strengthen the strong economic and commercial cooperation and explore new areas of collaboration, stated a joint statement.
The UAE is India’s third-largest trading partner for the year 2022-23 and India’s second-largest export destination 2while India is the UAE’s second largest trading partner, with bilateral trade rising to USD 85 billion in 2022- 3. The leaders expressed optimism regarding elevating the bilateral trade to $100 billion well ahead of the target year 2030, the statement added. They welcomed the strong growth witnessed in the UAE-India trade relations since the entry into force of the CEPA on May 1, 2022.
A golden chapter
In his address at the inauguration of the BAPS temple, PM Modi said, “Today, the UAE has written a golden chapter in human history. Both sides noted that the temple in Abu Dhabi is a celebration of UAE-India friendship, deep-rooted cultural bonds and an embodiment of the UAE’s global commitment to harmony, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
The UAE is home to about 3.5 million Indians, making it the largest diaspora anywhere in the world. The Indian community has been graciously taken care of, as PM Modi stated. He mentioned the special care taken during the Covid-19 times when the Indian diaspora was provided all possible assistance.
