HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani receiving Indian Finance Minister P Chidambaram at the Emiri Diwan yesterday.  Talks during the meeting dealt with relations between Qatar and India and matters of mutual concern, particularly financial and investment issues.

 

 

India has expressed keenness to further expand its already strong relationship with Qatar at a high-level meeting the country’s Finance Minister P Chidambaram had in Doha yesterday.

Chidambaram’s official visit to Qatar was “in the framework of the excellent relations and regular exchange of high level visits between the two countries,” Indian embassy said in a release last night.

Chidambaram yesterday held discussions with HE the Minister of Economy & Finance, Yousef Hussein Kamal, which were related to India-Qatar bilateral co-operation in various areas including investments, banking and finance, energy, aviation, and travel and tourism.

Kamal hosted a luncheon in honour of Chidamabaram, which was attended by Chairman of Hassad Food, CEOs of Qatar Airways, Qatar Holding, Qatari Diar and QNB among others.

Chidambaram had an audience with HH the Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani in the presence of Kamal, and HE the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Dr Khalid bin Mohamed al-Attiyah. 

Chidambaram conveyed to HH the Emir, the warm greetings of India’s President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh.

He said that the state visit of the Emir to India in April, 2012 had provided a fresh momentum to the historically friendly ties and growing bilateral co-operation between the two countries.

Chidambaram also said the government and people of India have great admiration for the strides being made by Qatar in various areas under the Emir’s Qatar National Vision 2030, and underlined India’s keenness to further expand partnerships with Qatar in diverse areas to the mutual benefit of both sides.

He thanked the Emir for the welfare of the Indian community in Qatar.

Indian embassy said the Emir reciprocated Chidambaram’s warm sentiments and noted the vast potential to further expand India-Qatar co-operation to the mutual benefit.

“HH the Emir assured his government’s support to the efforts being made to deepen and broaden the areas of engagement discussed between the two Finance Ministers. HH the Emir encouraged both sides to actively follow up on the discussions during Chidambaram’s visit. HH the Emir expressed appreciation for the large, diverse, vibrant and highly regarded Indian community in Qatar,” the embassy said.

Chidambaram addressed an investors meeting, organised jointly by the embassy and Doha Bank, at which chairmen/CEOs of several Qatari companies and heads of the local operations of Indian companies and banks participated.

He underlined the robustness of the Indian economy, India’s vast potential and distinctive advantages as an investment partner and the other opportunities in India for business enterprises from Qatar.

The Indian finance minister also informally interacted with prominent Qatari business leaders at a dinner hosted in his honour by Indian Ambassador Sanjiv Arora on Saturday.

Before leaving Doha last night Chidambaram visited the new Hamad International Airport (HIA), where he was accompanied among others by Qatar Airways CEO Akbar al-Baker.

He had also visited the renowned Museum of Islamic Art in Doha.