India seeks Qatari investments in petrochemicals, infrastructure and agriculture

India has sought Qatari investments in key sectors such as petrochemicals, infrastructure and agriculture, the Ministry of External Affairs said Tuesday.

The invitation for Qatari investments was made during delegation-level talks between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and her counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha, it said in a statement.

"Both sides discussed the entire gamut of bilateral relations and signed a declaration to establish Joint Commission at the level of External Affairs and Foreign Minister to periodically review progress in various cooperation initiatives," the statement said.

The Indian side mentioned that bilateral trade in 2017-18 was USD 9.9 billion and Indian exports to Qatar during this period registered an increase of 87 per cent over the previous year, it said.

Qatari investors were invited for areas such as petrochemicals, infrastructure, agriculture and food processing.

Both sides expressed satisfaction at the smooth functioning of various institutional mechanisms for strengthening of bilateral relationship, the statement said.

Swaraj visited Qatar from October 28-30. This was her first visit to Doha.