External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met the top leadership of Qatar and Bahrain and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations, focussing on areas such as trade and investment, during his visit to the countries from December 6-9, per an official statement.

The Minister highlighted the impact of ongoing conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine on regional shipping and trade and stressed the need for greater and participative diplomacy at the Doha Forum, 22nd edition,  where he participated in a panel on ‘Conflict Resolution in a new era’. 

Jaishankar met Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations with the country, the release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs noted.

During his visit, he also met Qatar’s Minister of Commerce and Industry, H.E. Sheikh Faisal bin Thani bin Faisal Al Thani, and Minister of State, Ahmed Al Sayed.

In Bahrain, Jaishankar co-chaired the fourth meeting of the India-Bahrain High Joint Commission (HJC) with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bahrain, Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani. “At the HJC, both sides reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations including trade, investments, healthcare, energy, security, tourism, and people to people ties. New areas of cooperation like space, education, fintech, and technology were also discussed,” the release stated.

The Minister also met the Deputy Prime Minister of Bahrain Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa. “They discussed different avenues to strengthen our bilateral cooperation. EAM thanked the Bahraini leadership for the welfare of the Indian community in Bahrain,” the release noted.

Jaishankar shared India’s perspectives on regional and global issues at the IISS Manama Dialogue in the concluding session “Whither Regional Strategic Cooperation”.  “His remarks underscored India’s commitment to enhancing security, stability, and development in the region,” the release said.