Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has described the relations between his country and Qatar as strong, historical and strategic, saying that the two countries continuously seek to enhance them in various fields. In an interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA), Dr Jaishankar said that there is a very deep historical and cultural relationship between India and Qatar. "I have seen this myself when I went to the wonderful National Museum of Qatar which illustrates the deep friendship, cultural and heritage connections between us and the Indian collections it contains that reflect our deeply common history."
The minister expressed his satisfaction at the level of relations between Doha and New Delhi, especially in energy and economy. In this context he said: "There is a very deep comfort between us. In the modern era, Qatar has become such a big energy supplier to the world, and we are a big energy consumer. Energy is a very strong foundation for our relations.
"Besides, we have also seen trade increase very substantially, so the challenge today for us is in going forward with a very good base, very strong history and very great comfort and exploring new opportunities of co-operation."
He stressed the importance of the successful talks he held in Qatar and their fruitful results, noting that the Qatari and Indian sides are ready to upgrade their partnerships to a higher level, and to consider areas that go beyond their traditional co-operation, and to search for priorities and opportunities and how to exploit them. He added: "Earlier security meant military, police, intelligence, while today security means health, food, and energy as well."
Dr Jaishankar hailed the level of care the Indian community enjoyed in Qatar, especially during the current outbreak of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, indicating that his visit to Qatar came specifically to thank Doha for the care it provides to the Indian community. "I came here specifically because my Prime Minister Narendra Modi wanted to convey his personal gratitude to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and the Qatari government for the manner in which they looked after the Indian community during the Covid crisis. We are very grateful for that, and we are also very proud that many of them have made very good contributions," he said.
Dr Jaishankar expressed his great appreciation and respect for the decisive measures taken by Qatar to confront the Covid-19 pandemic. "In India, we did not have a good experience everywhere, but we saw in Qatar a really ideal situation. From the beginning, the government was very decisive, and because of that it was able to control the spread of the virus.
"Regarding the care provided to the people, we greatly appreciate that the Qatari government has taken care of the citizens and everyone who lives on the land of Qatar, which is also a model for the world. I also appreciate the contribution of Qatar Airways by operating many flights to transport stranded people to their countries. I told the CEO of Qatar Airways that we note their contribution and the possibility of travel between India and Qatar."
The external affairs minister stressed his country's permanent support for the peaceful resolution of all issues in the region, including the Gulf crisis, through dialogue and negotiations, saying, "We support a constructive dialogue. We support negotiations. We believe diplomatic channels should be used. And we are confident that the issues and differences over the past three years would be resolved in the coming future. There would be a return to normality, and that is something we would welcome."
Dr Jaishankar pointed out that what is happening in the region in terms of tensions and crises is a source of great concern to India, as it considers the Gulf as an extended neighbourhood to it, as well as its strong and deep-rooted relations with the countries, including maritime and cultural links and others at a time when nearly 9mn Indians live in the Gulf today, which is a larger number compared to the existing ones in the US and the UK together.
"We also have regular structured relationship with the GCC; there is the GCC Troika. The Foreign Minister of India meets with the GCC Troika on a regular basis and it is a good opportunity for us to talk about what is happening," he said, adding six or seven of our 20 biggest trade partners are in the Gulf.
Dr Jaishankar welcomed the announcement by His Highness the Amir to hold Shura Council elections in October 2021, describing the step as a "very positive development" and added, "We welcome it because it would really increase the feeling of support and participation in society. We wish Qatar all the best in the next election in October. Our political systems reflect our culture and history. As a well-wisher and a friend of Qatar, I'm sure everything will go well."
The Indian minister expressed pleasure with Qatar's advanced preparations so far on its way to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He said: "I visited Al Rayyan Stadium for two reasons. One, I wanted to see to the new stadium and that the stadium was made by an Indian company. I was pleased that Qatar is progressing towards the preparations. I was also pleased that my country has contributed to that. It is a really nice stadium. There is no question that soccer is biggest sport in the world, and the FIFA World Cup is the biggest sporting event. It is somehow even bigger than the Olympics." He added, "In India, the interest in soccer has been steadily growing. We are historically a cricket and hockey-playing nation, but in the past 15-20 years, the number of people who follow and play soccer has increased."
"I can imagine a lot of Indians coming to see the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Our contribution to its success is that we will be the people watching from the stadium. I expect that Qatar's success in this will bring the sport closer to our hearts and our thinking. Again, I wish Qatar all the best," the minister said.
"Besides, we have also seen trade increase very substantially, so the challenge today for us is in going forward with a very good base, very strong history and very great comfort and exploring new opportunities of co-operation."
He stressed the importance of the successful talks he held in Qatar and their fruitful results, noting that the Qatari and Indian sides are ready to upgrade their partnerships to a higher level, and to consider areas that go beyond their traditional co-operation, and to search for priorities and opportunities and how to exploit them. He added: "Earlier security meant military, police, intelligence, while today security means health, food, and energy as well."
Dr Jaishankar hailed the level of care the Indian community enjoyed in Qatar, especially during the current outbreak of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, indicating that his visit to Qatar came specifically to thank Doha for the care it provides to the Indian community. "I came here specifically because my Prime Minister Narendra Modi wanted to convey his personal gratitude to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and the Qatari government for the manner in which they looked after the Indian community during the Covid crisis. We are very grateful for that, and we are also very proud that many of them have made very good contributions," he said.
Dr Jaishankar expressed his great appreciation and respect for the decisive measures taken by Qatar to confront the Covid-19 pandemic. "In India, we did not have a good experience everywhere, but we saw in Qatar a really ideal situation. From the beginning, the government was very decisive, and because of that it was able to control the spread of the virus.
"Regarding the care provided to the people, we greatly appreciate that the Qatari government has taken care of the citizens and everyone who lives on the land of Qatar, which is also a model for the world. I also appreciate the contribution of Qatar Airways by operating many flights to transport stranded people to their countries. I told the CEO of Qatar Airways that we note their contribution and the possibility of travel between India and Qatar."
The external affairs minister stressed his country's permanent support for the peaceful resolution of all issues in the region, including the Gulf crisis, through dialogue and negotiations, saying, "We support a constructive dialogue. We support negotiations. We believe diplomatic channels should be used. And we are confident that the issues and differences over the past three years would be resolved in the coming future. There would be a return to normality, and that is something we would welcome."
Dr Jaishankar pointed out that what is happening in the region in terms of tensions and crises is a source of great concern to India, as it considers the Gulf as an extended neighbourhood to it, as well as its strong and deep-rooted relations with the countries, including maritime and cultural links and others at a time when nearly 9mn Indians live in the Gulf today, which is a larger number compared to the existing ones in the US and the UK together.
"We also have regular structured relationship with the GCC; there is the GCC Troika. The Foreign Minister of India meets with the GCC Troika on a regular basis and it is a good opportunity for us to talk about what is happening," he said, adding six or seven of our 20 biggest trade partners are in the Gulf.
Dr Jaishankar welcomed the announcement by His Highness the Amir to hold Shura Council elections in October 2021, describing the step as a "very positive development" and added, "We welcome it because it would really increase the feeling of support and participation in society. We wish Qatar all the best in the next election in October. Our political systems reflect our culture and history. As a well-wisher and a friend of Qatar, I'm sure everything will go well."
The Indian minister expressed pleasure with Qatar's advanced preparations so far on its way to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He said: "I visited Al Rayyan Stadium for two reasons. One, I wanted to see to the new stadium and that the stadium was made by an Indian company. I was pleased that Qatar is progressing towards the preparations. I was also pleased that my country has contributed to that. It is a really nice stadium. There is no question that soccer is biggest sport in the world, and the FIFA World Cup is the biggest sporting event. It is somehow even bigger than the Olympics." He added, "In India, the interest in soccer has been steadily growing. We are historically a cricket and hockey-playing nation, but in the past 15-20 years, the number of people who follow and play soccer has increased."
"I can imagine a lot of Indians coming to see the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Our contribution to its success is that we will be the people watching from the stadium. I expect that Qatar's success in this will bring the sport closer to our hearts and our thinking. Again, I wish Qatar all the best," the minister said.