Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Qatar Emir Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani on Sunday witnessed the signing of agreements in Doha, as the delegation level talks concluded.
Seven agreements have been signed between India and Qatar:
- MoU on cooperation in tourism
- Agreement on cooperation and mutual assistance in custom matters
- MoU on cooperation in skill development & recognition of qualifications
- MoU on cooperation in field of health
- MoU for investment in national investment & infra fund
- 1st exec programme for MoU in field of youth & sports
- MoU on Finance Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND) and Qatar Financial Information Unit (QFIU)
Modi on Sunday held talks with the Emir of Qatar, taking forward bilateral ties with an important Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member.
Modi also conveyed birthday greetings to the Emir at the start of official talks. He received a ceremonial welcome at Emiri Diwan in Doha (Qatar) on Sunday. He will hold detailed talks with Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani later in the day.
Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the energy-rich Qatar since Manmohan Singh in 2008.
On Sunday evening, Modi departed for Switzerland on the third leg of his tour that will also take him to the US and Mexico.
Earlier in the day, Modi also met with business leaders in Qatar, his second stop on his five-nation tour.
Meeting With the Business Leaders
Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited Qatar’s business leaders to invest in India and promised to address “bottlenecks” identified by them.
“India is a land of opportunity. I have come to personally invite you to take advantage of this opportunity,” Modi said in a roundtable meeting with Qatari business leaders, his first engagement on the second day of his visit to the oil-rich Gulf nation.
The Prime Minister identified agro processing, railways and solar energy as very promising areas for Qatari investment.
All of you recognise the potential of India. I will address the bottlenecks you have identified.Narendra Modi
Youth is the Country’s Biggest Strength: PM Modi
He described 800 million youth in India as the country’s biggest strength.
“India’s 800 million youth are its biggest strength. Infrastructure expansion & upgradation & manufacturing are my other priorities,” Modi said.
He added that projects like smart cities, metros and urban waste management are geared towards upgrading the quality of life.
The Prime Minister also praised the role of Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in promoting India-Qatar business ties.
Earlier, Qatar’s Minister of Trade & Economy Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim Al Thani welcomed Modi and sought more intensive economic engagement with India.
The size of annual bilateral trade between India and Qatar is around $10 billion and both countries would like to expand it significantly. Qatar has a major sovereign wealth fund and India is eyeing investments from it.
The Prime Minister reached Qatari capital Doha from Afghanistan on Saturday night where he was received by Prime Minister Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani.
He addressed Indian workers at a medical camp in Doha on Saturday night.
(With inputs from IANS)
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