Amir of Qatar begins India visit; to meet Prez Murmu, PM Modi on Tuesday

Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, who arrived here on Monday on a two-day state visit to India, will meet President Droupadi Murmu and hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 18.

Extending a rare gesture of hospitality, Modi went to the airport to receive the Amir of Qatar, who arrived in Delhi in the evening.

"Went to the airport to welcome my brother, Amir of Qatar H H Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani. Wishing him a fruitful stay in India and looking forward to our meeting tomorrow," the prime minister said in a post on X.

 

The Amir of Qatar's visit will provide "further momentum to our growing multifaceted partnership", the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement on Saturday.

The Amir of Qatar will be accompanied by a high-level delegation, including ministers, senior officials and business leaders, it said.

According to a media advisory issued by the MEA on Monday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will call on the Amir of Qatar later in the evening.

On Tuesday morning, the Amir of Qatar will be accorded a ceremonial welcome at the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhawan, followed by his meeting with Modi at the Hyderabad House.

The talks between the two leaders will cover various aspects of the bilateral relations, the MEA said on Saturday.

An exchange of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, after which the Amir of Qatar will meet Murmu, according to the advisory.

The Amir of Qatar's visit comes at the invitation of Modi. This would be his second state visit to India. He earlier visited India in March 2015, the MEA said.

India and Qatar have deep-rooted historical ties of friendship, trust and mutual respect. In recent years, the ties between the two countries, including in the areas of trade, investment, energy, technology, culture and people-to-people relations, have continued to strengthen.

The Indian community residing in Qatar forms the largest expatriate group in that country and is "appreciated for its positive contribution in the progress and development of Qatar", the MEA said earlier.