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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his “deep appreciation” to Qatar for releasing eight Indian naval veterans sentenced to death. They were set free during his visit to the Gulf country. Modi discussed the matter with Qatar’s ruler Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on Thursday, the last day of Modi’s visit to the region.
“Prime Minister expressed his deep appreciation to His Highness, the Amir, for the release of eight Indian nationals of Al-Dahra company,” foreign secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra at a press briefing in Qatar.
“We are extremely gratified to see them back in India. Honorable Prime Minister invited His Highness, the Amir, to pay a visit to India. His Highness, the Amir, also hosted a banquet lunch at the Palace in honour of the Prime Minister,” he said.
The eight veterans had been held by Qatar since late 2022 on charges that were not made public. A death sentence was pronounced in 2023, which was removed in late December last year. The veterans were released and seven returned to India this week.
This is Modi’s second official visit to Qatar. The first took place in 2016. Modi also invited Emir Al Thani to visit India.
During Modi’s meeting with Qatar’s ruler, bilateral cooperation in energy, investment, trade and regional security issues were discussed.
India purchases large quantities of Liquified Natural Gas from Qatar. This relationship grew deeper as India’s state owned PetroNet announced a lucrative extension to its supply contract with QatarEnergy recently. Bilateral trade between the two countries stands at roughly 20 billion USD, largely on the back of a robust trade in LNG.
Modi also met with the previous emir, Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, during his engagements.
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Published: 15 Feb 2024, 10:57 PM IST
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