External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar commenced 2025 with his first diplomatic engagement, meeting Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, in Doha on January 1. This meeting followed Jaishankar's arrival in Qatar on December 30 for a three-day visit aimed at reviewing and enhancing bilateral relations between India and Qatar.

During the discussions, Jaishankar and Al Thani focused on various aspects of their partnership, including political ties, trade, investment, energy, security, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people relations. They also addressed recent regional and global developments, although specific details of these discussions were not disclosed publicly.

Jaishankar expressed his satisfaction with the meeting through a post on social media, highlighting it as a "productive review" of their cooperation. This visit marks Jaishankar's third trip to Qatar since resolving issues related to the detention of eight Indian Navy personnel in Qatar, which had strained relations previously.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) emphasized that this engagement is part of India's ongoing outreach to key West Asian countries amidst regional conflicts, underscoring the importance of strengthening ties with Qatar in light of evolving geopolitical dynamics.

ANI