Stratline: The visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the United Arab Emirates and Qatar was a revolutionary event as they demonstrated their exceptional friendship with India through remarkable actions. Two noteworthy developments are the opening of a temple in Abu Dhabi and the release of former Navy personnel in Qatar. Now that the Middle East is going through significant upheaval, India and China are competing for influence in the area.
NEW DELHI: In advance of his trip to Doha, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated on Tuesday that India and Qatar have long had cordial and close connections, and that their multifaceted relationship has only become stronger in recent years.
Meeting:
Modi said he was looking forward to meeting Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, “under whose leadership Qatar continues to witness tremendous growth and transformation”.
This was said by the prime minister in a statement before to his two-nation tour to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
On Wednesday afternoon, after completing his two-day visit to the UAE, Modi is expected to depart for Doha.
The announcement on Modi’s visit to the Qatari capital came on Monday hours after seven out of eight jailed former Indian Navy personnel returned home, nearly three-and-half months after a Qatari court handed them a death sentence that was subsequently commuted to jail terms ranging from three to 25 years.
Qatar has released all the eight Indians.
The former Indian Navy personnel faced charges of espionage, but neither the Qatari authorities nor New Delhi made the charges against them public.
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