In Doha, Modi thanks Qatar Emir over release of 8 jailed Indians

INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (15) thanked the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, for the release of Indian Navy veterans who were sentenced to death on reported charges of espionage.

The PM, who reached Doha on his second visit to the Middle Eastern nation since taking over in 2014, held wide-ranging talks with the host leader that primarily focused on expanding ties between the two nations in areas of trade and investment, energy, investment and new technology.

In a media briefing, Indian foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra said that Modi thanked the Emir for his support for the welfare of the Indian community in the Gulf nation.

"The prime minister thanked the Emir for his support for the welfare of the Indian community, and in this regard, expressed his deep appreciation to the Emir for the release of eight Indian nationals of Al-Dahra company. We are extremely gratified to see them back in India," Kwatra said.

Read: Modi’s visit to take India-Qatar ties to higher trajectory: Delhi’s envoy

Modi arrived in Doha on Wednesday (14) night after wrapping up an eventful two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates where he inaugurated the BAPS Hindu temple.

Read: Modi in Qatar after Doha freed 8 Indian nationals; meets top leaders, diaspora

The Indian Navy veterans were on October 26 last year given death sentences by Qatar's Court of First Instance. On December 28, the Court of Appeal in the Gulf nation commuted the capital punishment and sentenced them to jail terms for varying durations.

Earlier in December, Modi met Al-Thani on the sidelines of the COP28 Summit in Dubai and discussed the "well-being of the Indian community" in Qatar.

The former Indian Navy personnel apparently faced charges of espionage, but neither the Qatari authorities nor New Delhi made the charges against them public.

Kwatra said the discussions between Modi and the Emir focused on a wide range of areas of bilateral cooperation including trade partnership, investment cooperation and energy ties.

The two leaders spoke about the need for strategic investments and strategic partnerships in the fields of energy and technology, he said.

The foreign secretary said Modi's visit to Doha laid the basis for taking India-Qatar relationship to a much higher level across various domains, the two sides are looking at using investment as a vehicle to build long-term strategic partnership. India and Qatar are looking at broadbasing trade baskets to link it to regional trade, he said.

Modi also invited Emir Al-Thani to visit India, Kwatra added.

(With agency inputs)