Qatar and India have agreed to form a Supreme Strategic Committee for Co-ordination and Follow-up of Co-operation between the two countries, according to a joint statement issued  at the end of the official visit by Indian  Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Qatar yesterday.
The following is the joint statement issued in Doha:
In response to HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani’s  invitation,  Prime Minister  Narendra Modi paid a two-day official visit to Qatar on June 4 and 5.
HH the Emir met  Prime Minister  Modi at the Emiri Diwan on June 5 and they exchanged views on a number of bilateral, regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest.
The wide-ranging discussions were held in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere.
HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani  met with the Indian prime minister during the visit.

Historical ties

The two sides discussed during the official meetings historical ties between Qatar and India, stressing the fruitful communication and close co-operation between the two friendly people for several generations.
The two sides expressed satisfaction over the level of bilateral relations, enhanced by regular high-level visits, and welcomed the signing of multilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding during Prime Minister  Modi’s visit to  Qatar, stressing that these agreements, in addition to the existing ones, would consolidate the bonds of co-operation and friendship between the State of Qatar and the Republic of India.
The two sides highly appreciated the active bilateral institutional mechanisms in the fields of trade, investment, energy, defence and workforce, stressing the need to continue to hold meetings of the joint working groups in different sectors on a regular basis in order to enhance co-operation between the two countries.
The two sides agreed to form a Supreme Strategic Committee for Co-ordination and Follow-up of Co-operation between the two countries as well as regional and global issues of common interest.
Recognising their mutual goodwill, the two sides agreed to expand and deepen bilateral co-operation in various fields of common interest, increase bilateral visits of high-level in political, defence, security co-operation as well as trade and economic relations.
They also agreed to enhance ties between the two people and stressed the importance of building strong bilateral partnership to meet their responsibilities towards promoting peace, stability and security in the region and in the world in the 21st Century.
Recognising that the Defence Co-operation Agreement concluded in November 2008 has provided the framework to strengthen bilateral defence relations, the two sides agreed to enhance them further through joint exercises and intensive training for naval, air, ground and coastal defence forces.

Opportunities

The Qatari side expressed interest toward the opportunities offered by the “Make in India” initiative in the field of joint production of defence equipment in India.
The Indian side highly appreciated Qatar’s participation in the International Exhibition Fleets and the Defexpo India 2016 on February-March 2016 along with the increased Qatari delegations’ visits to the Indian Navy Coast Guard facilities in India.
The Qatari side expressed appreciation for the participation of an Indian high-level delegation in Dimdex 2016 in March with guided missile frigates manufactured in India, as well as friendly visits paid to Qatar Navy and Coastguard.
It welcomed India’s proposal to organise special training programmes for members of the armed forces and the coast Guard in India and  Qatar.
Both sides agreed to intensify co-operation to enhance maritime security in the GCC and the Indian Ocean regions, which is considered crucial for the two countries’ security and prosperity.

Pledge to fight terror

The two sides strongly condemned the phenomenon of international terrorism, confirming their  keenness to boost bilateral co-operation to eliminate this global menace which threatens all nations and societies, pointing out that terrorist organisations’ spread at regional and global levels and the noticeable increase of terrorist activities led directly to undermining the international security and peace and threatening efforts to ensure sustainable growth and development.
The two sides condemned all acts of violence, terrorism and extremism, whatever their motives, reasons and justifications in all their forms and manifestations, reaffirming that terrorism shall not be linked to any religion, culture or ethnic groups.
The two sides focused on the need to isolate sponsors and supporters of terrorism and agreed on the need to take urgent action against all those entities that support terrorism and use it as a tool to implement their objectives.
They stressed that addressing the threat of global terrorism must be based on a comprehensive approach that includes fighting against intolerance, violent extremism and the recruitment of individuals; impeding terrorist movements’ activities and draining all terrorist financing sources; stopping the flow of foreign terrorists, militants; dismantling terrorism infrastructure and fighting the propaganda over the Internet.
The two sides discussed on further ways to enhance bilateral co-operation in the field of cyber security, including prevention of the use of cyberspace in support of terrorism, extremism and dismantling the social fabric.
They welcomed the mutual visits and dialogue between religious leaders and men of culture of the two countries, holding conferences and seminars in order to strengthen peace, tolerance, inclusion and good advocated by all religions values.
The two sides highly appreciated the continued co-operation in the field of security and agreed to enhance co-operation in counter-terrorism operations, intelligence sharing, the development of best practices, technologies and capacity building, law enforcement, anti-money laundering, the fight against drug trafficking and other cross-border crimes.
They agreed to take further measures to counter illegal money transfers, welcoming the signing of a memorandum of understanding on co-operation in the field of exchange of intelligence information relating to money laundering, related crimes and terrorist financing.
The two sides stressed that the fight against terrorism requires a strong collective action by the international community and also agreed to enhance co-operation in the fight against terrorism within the framework of relevant multilateral institutions.

Trade relations

Both sides described the bilateral trade relations as a link binding the two countries, taking into account the outstanding bilateral trade exchange as they are considered as the largest trading partners for each other.
They agreed on the need to strengthen these relations, particularly through diversification of trade activities and, also decided to encourage their reciprocal participation in trade fairs and festivals as well as to facilitate the promotion of trade procedures.
The two sides expressed satisfaction over the increased presence of national and Indian companies in their respective markets and agreed to encourage communication between the Qatari and Indian businessmen and implement an appropriate mechanism to speed up granting business and tourist visas for both countries.
The Qatari side welcomed the participation of Indian companies in infrastructure development projects in Qatar within the framework of preparations to host the 2022 World Cup development plans and to achieve the objectives of the Qatar National Vision (QNV) 2030.
 Prime Minister  Modi highlighted the major initiatives taken by the Indian government in order to “the Ease of Doing Business” by simplifying existing procedures and increasing the foreign direct investment (FDI) limit in key areas including railways, defence, insurance, calling on Qatar to be a partner in the process of growth of India.
He pointed out that his country has plans for the construction of infrastructure in accordance with international standards through the construction of 100 smart city projects, metro trains in 50 cities, modern waste management systems in 500 cities, healthcare with affordable price, sanitation for all by 2019 and houses for all by 2022.

Vision for growth

HH the Emir expressed appreciation for Modi’s vision aimed at accelerating India’s growth and development, expressing confidence in the success of its development process.
HH the Emir also praised the new initiatives of the Indian prime minister, including initiatives “Start-Up India”, “Make in India”, “Smart City” and “Clean India”, referring to their strong potential to provide a positive impetus to the growth of the Indian economy.
Recognising the high rate of growth of the Indian economy; the importance of participating in the march of India’s development while taking into consideration the large investment capabilities available in Qatar, the two sides discussed various means and mechanisms for Qatari investments in India, especially in various infrastructure sectors.
The two sides agreed to increase the level of participation in infrastructure investments in the both countries and discussed the importance of co-operation between Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) and the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF), a fund created by the Government of India.
The two sides welcomed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for co-operation in the field of investment and infrastructure between QIA and NIIF.
The two sides agreed to exchange information on a regular basis and in a timely manner on the available investment opportunities.

Regular meetings

The two sides also recognised the need to hold regular meetings between QIA and the concerned Indian authorities and companies of public and private sectors.
The two sides expressed satisfaction over the growing bilateral trade in the energy sector, as Qatar is the largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to India. The Indian side highly appreciated Qatar’s contribution to their country’s energy security.
The two sides agreed to focus on strengthening co-operation in the field of energy, which includes the areas of training and human resource development; co-operation in the field of research and development and the promotion of joint projects in the petrochemical complexes and joint exploration in India and other countries.
The Indian side stressed their country’s  energy companies’ interest in search of mutual interest opportunities in Qatar with Qatar Petroleum (QNA) and other companies in order to explore new fields, develop unexplored oil and gas assets and exploit the existing resources of natural gas and crude oil in Qatar.
The Indian side called on Qatar to invest in the exploration and production sector in their country by bidding for exploration in India under the new “ Exploration Licensing Policy” (NELP) Policy and the Discovered Small Field Policy.
The Indian side called on  Qatar to participate in the second phase of the strategic crude oil storage facilities in India.
The two sides discussed the need to strengthen bilateral co-operation in the field of financial services, including banking, insurance sector and capital markets.
They decided to expand co-operation between financial institutions in the two countries, such as the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and the concerned central banks.
The two sides agreed to work for enhancing co-operation in the health sector, including the fields of health services and the exchange of personnel in the field of health, medical education and pharmacy, noting that India provides health services in accordance with international standards and competitive cost.
They welcomed the signing of an MoU on bilateral co-operation in the field health between Qatar and Indian governments.
The Qatari side lauded Prime Minister  Modi’s initiative leading to the formation of an International Solar Energy Alliance which contributed in the development of modern global solar technology.
The two sides stressed that the great response to the International Day of Yoga reflects the global community’s keenness to work together to build a balanced and sustainable future and a healthier world.
The Indian prime minister thanked Qatar’s support for the first International Day of Yoga’s edition marked on June 21, 2015, including the issuance of commemorative stamps on this occasion.

Cultural exchange

The two sides pointed out to the role played by cultural exchange in the rapprochement between the Indian and Qatari peoples and agreed to increase cultural and sports co-operation between the two countries, including the ongoing exchange of cultural groups and sports teams as well as increasing cinema industry’s co-operation.
Prime Minister Modi expressed appreciation to the Qatar Museums for its decision to celebrate Qatar-India Year of Culture in 2019.
The two sides welcomed the signing of a mutual co-operation and support agreement in the field of customs, a memorandum of understanding  in the field of tourism and the co-operation executive program of the first MoU in the field of youth and sports between Qatar and Indian governments.
The two sides pointed out that the communication between the two peoples is fundamental for Qatari-Indian relationships.
The two sides will continue to enhance bilateral relations.
HH the Emir expressed appreciation of the role and contribution being played by the Indian community in the development of Qatar.
The Qatari side briefed its Indian counterpart on reforms in labour laws aimed at protecting workers’ interests in Qatar.
The Indian prime minister extended sincere thanks to the wise Qatari leadership for hosting the Indian community and ensuring their well-being and safety.
The two sides welcomed the signing of an MoU for co-operation in the development of skills and recognition of qualifications.
The two sides exchanged views on issues of mutual interest and regional and international issues, including the security situation in West Asia, the Middle East and South Asia.
They also expressed deep concern towards the security situation in Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen, stressing the need to achieve peaceful solutions by conducting political dialogue and negotiations.
In the context of the United Nations’ reform, the two sides discussed the importance of adopting an effective system aimed at establishing a UN system that reflects a contemporary reality as a key factor to address global challenges.
They stressed the urgent need for the continuation of United Nations reforms, including the Security Council, by expanding its membership to make it more representative, credible and effective.
The Indian prime minister expressed his sincere gratitude to HH the Emir for the warm welcome and generous hospitality and invited HH the Emir to pay an official visit to India at a mutually convenient time.
HH the Emir accepted the invitation with pleasure.