Visit of Prime Minister to Qatar

• Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi paid a two-day official visit to the State of Qatar from 4-5 June, 2016.
• This visit mainly focuses on a new push to the economic ties, particularly in the hydrocarbon sector, between India and the energy-rich Qatar.
• Modi is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Qatar in the last eight years.
• India and Qatar signed seven agreements in various fields including assistance in custom matters, skill development and recognition of qualifications and health.

Seven Agreements are:

• Agreement on assistance in Customs Matters: It promotes cooperation and mutual assistance between the two countries on matters pertaining to customs administration through exchange of information and intelligence.
• MoU on cooperation in the exchange of intelligence related to money laundering, terrorism-financing and related crimes: The MoU facilitates exchange of intelligence related to money laundering, terrorism-financing and related crimes and persons connected thereto. This was inked between Financial Intelligence Unit – India (FIU-IND) and the Qatar Financial Information Unit (QFIU).
• MoU on participation of Qatari institutional investors in Infrastructure projects in India: Under this, a framework will be established to facilitate participation of Qatari institutional investors in Infrastructure projects in India under NIIF. This MoU was inked between National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) and Qatar Investment Authority (QIA).
• MoU for cooperation in Skill Development and Recognition of Qualifications: It aims to enhance cooperation between the two countries on skill development and mutual recognition of qualifications to facilitate mobility of skilled workers from India to Qatar. This was inked between the Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, and the National Qualifications Authority/Supreme Education Council, Government of the State of Qatar.
• MoU on cooperation in Tourism: It aims at bilateral cooperation in the field of planning and developing of tourism, through marketing and promotion as also to support cooperation between private sector stakeholders
• MoU for cooperation in the field of Health: It provides cooperation in areas of health, including interalia in occupational and environmental health, pharmaceuticals, medical education, exchange of the best practices in the field of primary healthcare, research in the field of health care, technology, health care system and exchange of medical experts and scientists.
• The First Executive Programme for MoU in the field of Youth and Sports: As a follow up to the existing MoU in the field of Youth and Sports, the first Executive Programme provides for exchanges and cooperation in sports activities, training camps for sports teams and exchange visits of leaders and officials etc between the two countries.

Analysis:

• Qatar is an important trading partner for India in the Gulf region with bilateral trade in 2014-15 exceeding USD 15 billion.
• It is India's largest supplier of LNG requirements, accounting for 65 per cent of the country's total imports in 2015-16. It is also one of India's key sources of crude oil.
• At present, a number of Indian companies are involved in construction activities related to the FIFA World Cup being hosted by Qater in 2022.
• The Indian diaspora of over 6,30,000 form the largest expatriate community in Qatar and constitutes a substantial percentage of the country's population
• India's historical and close relations with Qatar are marked by mutually beneficial commercial exchanges and extensive people-to-people contacts

By: Vishal