India-Qatar cooperation in diverse sectors has been steadily growing in a framework led by historical close ties and regular and substantive engagement. The large, diverse Indian model of international relations is making an important contribution to Qatar’s progress, Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways said in a press release.

In a meeting, Indian union minister Sarbananda Sonowal and minister of transport of state of Qatar Jassim Saif Ahmed Al-Sulaiti had discussions targeted to strengthen the bilateral maritime cooperation between the countries. The discussions included interactions between Indian and Qatari ports to share best practices in various areas of port operations.

It is to be noted that, some of Qatar’s key exports to India include LNG, LPG, chemicals, and petrochemicals, while some of India’s key exports to Qatar include textiles and garments, chemicals, and rubber. India’s bilateral trade with Qatar in 2021-22 was $15.03 billion. India’s export to Qatar during 2021-22 was $1.83 billion, and India’s import from Qatar was $13.19 billion. In 2021, India was among the top four largest export destinations for Qatar and is also among the top three sources of Qatar’s imports.

This year (2023) marks 50 years of establishment of full diplomatic relations between India and Qatar, and Al-Sulaiti is on an official visit to India. 

During this meeting Shantanu Thakur, minister of state for ports, shipping, and waterways; Sudhansh Pant, secretary (PSW); and Rajesh Kumar Sinha, additional secretary (PSW) along with senior officers of the ministry accompanied the Union minister.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DP)