Fight against terror, including cyber terrorism, high on India, Qatar radar
New Delhi. India and Qatar signed a Protocol on Technical Cooperation in cyber space and combating cyber crime December 3, after Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi led delegation-level talks to raise the level of bilateral ties.
They also agreed to enhance defence and security cooperation and work closely to cut funding for terrorists and money laundering to finance terrorist activity. Agreements were also signed on easing diplomatic, official and tourist travel restrictions between the two countries. Diplomatic and official passport holders and those with special passports will not require visas to enter each others’ countries.
Mr Modi, welcomed India’s “valued friend” and expressed India’s keenness to invest in hydrocarbon projects in Qatar and move beyond the “buyer-seller relationship” during their talks which centred on key issues of energy, trade and security.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Qatar Ports Management Company “Mwani Qatar” and Indian Ports Global Private Limited (IPGPL), aimed at encouraging greater collaboration and exchange in the field of national ports management of both countries.
Prime Minister Al Thani arrived in New Delhi December 2 for the third exchange of high-level visits between India and the Gulf nation in less than two years. Earlier this year, in June, Mr Modi visited Qatar, after the Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani visited India in March 2015.
Qatar’s Prime Minister addressed a meeting of Indian businesses December 2 during which he called for boosting of bilateral economic and trade ties. India and Qatar, he said, were bound by warm civilizational ties stretched over hundreds of years, a statement issued by the Qatari embassy said.
Economic issues are top priority for Qatar and India and hence, the two countries with their diverse and different political systems were striving to strengthen the role of the private sector and go across their innovations far from any restrictions. He said India was considered among the five top trade partners of Qatar, with the trade exchange between them exceeding $10 billion annually.
The Qatari Prime Minister’s visit also coincided with the Heart of Asia (Istanbul Process) ministerial meeting being hosted by India.
