NEW DELHI: Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan will be on his first official visit to Qatar between May 8 and May 10, said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
He will meet State Minister for Foreign Affairs Soltan bin Saad Al-Muraikhi and Speaker of the Shura Coucil, Hassan bin Abdulla Al-Ghanim in Doha.
The visit would add to the momentum of the multifaceted bilateral cooperation, said the MEA.
“Both countries share excellent bilateral relations ranging across – political, economic, defence, cultural and educational fields, which have further strengthened in the past few years. The leadership of both countries has maintained close contact during the Covid-19 pandemic,” it further said.
During his stay in the naiton, Muraleedharan will also interact with the Indian community in Qatar, including those working in areas of community welfare, business, health, culture, education, engineering, accountancy and Indian veterans.
Qatar hosts a strong diaspora of 7 lakh Indians.
The Indian community will organize cultural events to mark Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav during the visit of the minister.
India and Qatar will commemorate the golden jubilee of the establishment of full diplomatic ties in 2023.
The bilateral trade between India and Qatar crossed USD 15 billion in financial year 2021-22. Qatar’s investments in India have increased five-fold over the past two years.