<p>India and <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/qatar">Qatar</a> have seen an expansion and deepening of their relations during the just concluded visit of Qatar’s Amir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, to India. Both countries have decided to elevate their ties to a strategic relationship and signed a clutch of agreements on cooperation in various fields. </p><p>India has traditionally had good relations with all Gulf countries and all Indian governments have nurtured them; Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given special attention to these ties. India’s relations with the Gulf region are economic, cultural and at the people-to-people levels. Large numbers of Indians work in the Gulf region. </p><p>Qatar has a special place in the Gulf as it has strong ties with western powers and with the countries of the region. It also has relations with Israel and radical regimes like that in Afghanistan. </p><p>The importance India attaches to the relationship can be seen from the fact that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has visited Qatar thrice in the last nine months.</p>.<p>A joint statement issued at the end of the Amir’s visit said India and Qatar have agreed to elevate their ties to a “strategic partnership”, double bilateral trade – from $14 billion to $28 billion – over the next five years, and facilitate $10 billion in Qatari investments in India. </p><p>India already has a strategic relationship with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) which includes the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait. India and Qatar inked two agreements and five MoUs, covering areas such as economic cooperation, youth affairs and double taxation avoidance. </p><p>Qatar provides 45% of India’s LNG needs which accounts for half of the present bilateral trade. QatarEnergy and India’s Petronet LNG have also signed their largest-ever LNG supply deal for a 20-year period. </p><p>The agreements aim to improve Qatar’s investments in India that have not been very high and enhance trade which saw a dip in 2023-24 from the previous year.</p>.Why Global South needs its own AI revolution .<p>Bilateral diplomatic relations had seen a setback in August 2022, when eight former Indian Navy personnel were sentenced to death in Qatar on espionage charges. </p><p>The Amir’s decision to pardon them has removed the stress caused by the incident. The two countries have also explored the possibility of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that can boost bilateral trade by increasing mutual access to each other’s market. </p><p>Qatar has free market agreements with other countries including China. While an FTA will have its positives, it must be ensured that it does not lead to dumping of goods by other countries, or by Qatar, in India.</p>
<p>India and <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/tags/qatar">Qatar</a> have seen an expansion and deepening of their relations during the just concluded visit of Qatar’s Amir, Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, to India. Both countries have decided to elevate their ties to a strategic relationship and signed a clutch of agreements on cooperation in various fields. </p><p>India has traditionally had good relations with all Gulf countries and all Indian governments have nurtured them; Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given special attention to these ties. India’s relations with the Gulf region are economic, cultural and at the people-to-people levels. Large numbers of Indians work in the Gulf region. </p><p>Qatar has a special place in the Gulf as it has strong ties with western powers and with the countries of the region. It also has relations with Israel and radical regimes like that in Afghanistan. </p><p>The importance India attaches to the relationship can be seen from the fact that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has visited Qatar thrice in the last nine months.</p>.<p>A joint statement issued at the end of the Amir’s visit said India and Qatar have agreed to elevate their ties to a “strategic partnership”, double bilateral trade – from $14 billion to $28 billion – over the next five years, and facilitate $10 billion in Qatari investments in India. </p><p>India already has a strategic relationship with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) which includes the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait. India and Qatar inked two agreements and five MoUs, covering areas such as economic cooperation, youth affairs and double taxation avoidance. </p><p>Qatar provides 45% of India’s LNG needs which accounts for half of the present bilateral trade. QatarEnergy and India’s Petronet LNG have also signed their largest-ever LNG supply deal for a 20-year period. </p><p>The agreements aim to improve Qatar’s investments in India that have not been very high and enhance trade which saw a dip in 2023-24 from the previous year.</p>.Why Global South needs its own AI revolution .<p>Bilateral diplomatic relations had seen a setback in August 2022, when eight former Indian Navy personnel were sentenced to death in Qatar on espionage charges. </p><p>The Amir’s decision to pardon them has removed the stress caused by the incident. The two countries have also explored the possibility of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that can boost bilateral trade by increasing mutual access to each other’s market. </p><p>Qatar has free market agreements with other countries including China. While an FTA will have its positives, it must be ensured that it does not lead to dumping of goods by other countries, or by Qatar, in India.</p>
