Doha: Vice President Venkaiah Naidu met the Speaker of Qatar Shura Council, Hassan bin Abdulla Al Ghanim, as part of his three-nation tour which includes a visit to Doha.

"The Speaker of Qatar Shura Council, H.E. Mr Hassan bin Abdulla Al Ghanim, called on the Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu in Doha today," Vice President said in a tweet.

Naidu, who is on the last leg of his tour, today, visited the Qatar National Museum in Doha.

On Sunday, Vice President launched the "India-Qatar Start-Up bridge" to link the start-up ecosystems of the two countries at the India-Qatar Business Forum in Doha.

He also addressed members of the business community at India-Qatar Business Forum and highlighted the strength of India-Qatar ties and called for building an enabling environment and forging more collaborations for mutual benefit.

"When I see India and Qatar, I see convergences and opportunities. Trade contacts between the Western Coast of India and the Gulf region have existed for a long time. The pearl trade; the movement of dhows between our coasts taking advantage of the monsoon ecosystem in the Indian ocean; the use of the Indian Rupee as a legal tender in Qatar till the 1960s, enabled the ease with which goods and people moved between the two countries," Naidu said in his address.

The Vice President said that these exchanges pave the way for a special relationship between our countries which has evolved over centuries through people to people and cultural exchanges.

"We have now a very robust India-Qatar economic partnership and it is getting enriched with each passing day," he said. He also said that bilateral trade between India and Qatar has seen steady progress.

"During 2021-22, bilateral trade crossed USD 15 billion. It is a new milestone. Currently, the trade is naturally dominated by energy. Our focus is now to expand and diversify the trade basket," he added.

He informed that more than 100 businesses are registered with Qatar Financial Centre and in Qatar Free Zone too.

Earlier on Sunday, the Vice President called on Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father of the Amir of Qatar. He also held delegation-level talks with Sheikh Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Thani, the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior of Qatar.