Why PM Modi broke protocol to welcome ‘brother’ emir of Qatar at airport

Why PM Modi broke protocol to welcome ‘brother’ emir of Qatar at airport

How does one really feel if they’re obtained by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the airport? Ask Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani, who was obtained by the PM on Monday (February 17) as he landed within the nation for a two-day state go to throughout which he’ll meet President Droupadi Murmu and maintain talks with Modi.

On Monday, PM Modi broke established norms by personally welcoming Qatar’s emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani on the New Delhi airport. This marks the emir’s second go to to the nation — his first was in March 2015.

As the 2 leaders put together for his or her talks as we speak (February 18), we take a more in-depth have a look at why India-Qatar ties matter and what this go to means for New Delhi.

A heat welcome for ‘brother’

On Monday (February 17), the Qatar emir arrived within the nation for a two-day state go to on the invitation of New Delhi. On the airport, he was accorded a heat welcome with PM Narendra Modi additionally current to obtain him.

Posting on X, the PM wrote, “Went to the airport to welcome my brother, Emir of Qatar H H Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani. Wishing him a fruitful keep in India and looking out ahead to our assembly tomorrow.

On arrival, the Qatar emir was additionally welcomed by artists who placed on a present for him.

Apart from PM Modi, Exterior Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was additionally current on the airport to welcome Al-Thani. Ministry of Exterior Affairs(MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal known as the go to a “particular gesture for a particular pal.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani watches a efficiency because the latter is welcomed upon his arrival in India, in New Delhi. Picture Courtesy: @narendramodi/YouTube

Qatar emir’s 2-day state go to

Al-Thani’s go to to India, which started on Monday (Feb 17), will give attention to commerce, funding, vitality and know-how. Upon arrival, he held talks with Exterior Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

“Honoured to name on H H @TamimBinHamad, emir of Qatar on his arrival in New Delhi for a state go to. Worth his steering on advancing our cooperation in lots of domains. Assured that his talks with PM @narendramodi tomorrow will deepen our shut bonds of friendship,” Jaishankar mentioned in a publish on X.

Exterior Affairs Minister S Jaishankar shares a lighter second with Qatar emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani on his arrival. Picture Courtesy: @DrSJaishankar/X

On Tuesday, the Emir of Qatar shall be accorded a ceremonial welcome on the forecourt of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, adopted by his assembly with Modi on the Hyderabad Home. The talks between the 2 leaders will cowl varied facets of the bilateral relations, the MEA mentioned.

An trade of memoranda of understanding (MoUs) is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, after which the emir of Qatar will meet Murmu, in keeping with the advisory.

Test the most recent updates on the
Delhi New CM announcement.

Significance of Qatar emir’s go to to India

Al-Thani’s go to to India is of nice significance —the Qatar-India relationship, which remained comparatively stagnant for many years, has vastly improved in latest occasions. That is in sync with India’s coverage of intensifying engagement with the prolonged West Asian neighbourhood and securing its vitality safety necessities.

Right this moment, commerce between the 2 nations stands at roughly $20 billion. Qatar’s key exports to India embrace Liquefied Pure Gasoline (LNG) and Liquefied Piped Gasoline (LPG), chemical substances, petrochemicals, plastics and aluminum. In actual fact, Qatar is the biggest provider of LNG to India, it accounted for over 48 per cent of all of India’s LNG imports in 2022-2023. Equally, the West Asian nation can be India’s largest provider of LPG, accounting for 29 per cent of India’s whole LPG imports.

Alternatively, India’s key exports to Qatar embrace cereals, copper articles, iron and metal articles, greens, fruits, spices, processed meals merchandise, electrical and different equipment, plastic merchandise, building materials, textiles and clothes, chemical substances, treasured stones and rubber.

Nevertheless, each India and Qatar are eager to develop their commerce basket and discover new areas of cooperation in sectors akin to renewable vitality, fintech, startups, and know-how.

Commerce isn’t the one facet of India-Qatar’s ties. The 2 international locations share sturdy defence ties. India gives coaching slots in its defence establishments to a lot of associate international locations, together with Qatar. India additionally usually participates within the biennial Doha Worldwide Maritime Defence Exhibition and Convention (DIMDEX) in Qatar. Indian Naval and Coast Guard ships usually go to Qatar as a part of bilateral cooperation and interplay.

There’s additionally a cultural facet to India-Qatar ties. Indians make up the biggest expatriate group in Qatar — an estimated 8.4 lakh Indians reside there — participating in a large spectrum of professions together with medication; engineering; schooling, finance; banking; enterprise and media aside from a lot of blue-collared employees. As well as, roughly 15,000 Indian corporations, starting from small enterprises to giant companies, function in Qatar, with a cumulative funding of $450 million.

Nevertheless, there’s one pending matter on person-to-person ties between the 2 nations — the return of 1 former naval personnel. In August 2022,
eight ex-Navy personnel had been arrested in Doha on expenses of espionage and initially handed the demise sentence. Following Delhi’s intervention, the demise sentence was commuted on December 28, 2023, and
seven of them had been launched to India final February.

Qatar has additionally assumed better significance within the safety of West Asia — it has performed a key function as a
mediator between Israel and the Palestine militant group Hamas. Furthermore, Qatar additionally performs host to conferences between the Taliban and different world powers. In latest occasions, although not giving formal recognition to the Taliban regime,
New Delhi has been participating with the Taliban bearing in mind regional and financial issues.

As Harsh V Pant, professor of Worldwide Relations with King’s India Institute at King’s School London and Vice-President (Research and International Coverage) on the Observer Analysis Basis suppose tank, was quoted as saying, “As India progresses in direction of reaching out to the Taliban, Qatar could convey the views of the Taliban to New Delhi.”

With inputs from businesses

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