New Delhi, Feb 18 (UNI) President Droupadi Murmu hosted a banquet in honour of the Qatar Amir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani on Tuesday evening, during which she recalled the deep and historic ties between India and Qatar and expressed satisfaction at the deepening of bilateral relations.
In a post on X, the President’s House said:
“A warm welcome for a special friend!
"President Droupadi Murmu received His Highness Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar at Rashtrapati Bhavan. In a special gesture, President Murmu welcomed and greeted him in front of the iconic Rampurva Bull at the steps of the Rashtrapati Bhavan forecourt. The President also hosted a banquet in his honour.
“The Vice President, Prime Minister and other dignitaries, including members of the high level delegation from Qatar attended the banquet.
“Speaking on the occasion, the President recalled the deep and historic ties between India and Qatar and expressed satisfaction at the deepening of bilateral relations and establishment of strategic partnership between the two countries.”
A statement said: “Welcoming the Qatar Amir Al Thani on his second State Visit to India, the President said that India’s relations with Qatar are steeped in history, spanning centuries. Qatar has been an integral part of West Asia’s linkages of commerce and culture with India.
“The President said that multi-faceted engagement and cooperation between India and Qatar are marked by a deep sense of comfort and time-tested goodwill. The two countries are reliable partners in the areas of trade, investment, food security, health, culture and energy. She said that we should also take advantage of the respective strengths of both countries to broaden our cooperation in the areas of innovation, technology and start-ups.
“The President said that said that both countries should work together for peace, progress and prosperity of not only our peoples but for all people of the world.
“Both leaders agreed that the elevation of the India-Qatar relationship to the level of ‘strategic partnership’ would establish a roadmap for even closer engagement.”
Earlier, Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar called on the Qatar Amir. The Vice President “gratefully recalled the warm reception accorded to him during his visit to Qatar for FIFA 2022. Discussions between the two leaders highlighted various aspects of bilateral relations between the two nations, including energy, trade, investment, culture and people-to-people ties.”
UNI RN