Prime Minister Narendra Modi would visit Doha after the release of seven Former Navy officers
The Ministry of External Affairs said on Monday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would visit Doha on February 14 after concluding his tour to the United Arab Emirates. It is there that he will have bilateral discussions with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar.
During a special briefing on PM Modi's visit to the UAE, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra stated, "On 14 February afternoon, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Doha, Qatar. PM Narendra Modi will meet one-on-one with Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the emir of Qatar, and other prominent figures in Qatar throughout his tour, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra announced at a special briefing on the PM's trip to the United Arab Emirates."
Kwatra emphasized that PM Narendra Modi's current visit to Qatar is his second; his last visit occurred in June 2016. The Foreign Secretary highlighted high-level visits to Qatar and emphasized the strengthening ties between India and Qatar. During PM Narendra Modi's visit to Qatar, the senior leadership of the two nations will have the chance to debate how to further develop and enhance our diverse alliance and share perspectives on many regional and global problems that are important to both of them. Vice president Jagdeep Dhankhar visited Doha in November 2022 and vice president Venkaiah Naidu in June 2022. Over the past three to four years, Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar has also made several trips to Qatar.
Release of seven former members of the Indian Navy
Eight former members of the Indian Navy who were taken into custody on 30th August 2022, by Qatari officials on suspicion of espionage have been released. The eight individuals, who worked at Al Dahra Global Technologies in Doha, were given imprisonments ranging from three to 25 years after the Court of Appeal in Qatar altered the death sentences that had been handed down in October of last year. The decision was made on December 28 of the same year. Early on 12th February morning, seven out of the eight came back to India. The veterans are Captains Navtej Gill and Saurabh Vasisht, Commanders Purnendu Tiwari, Amit Nagpal, SK Gupta, BK Verma and Sugunakar Pakala, and sailor Ragesh. Commander Purnendu Tiwari hasn’t returned yet but he is expected to be back in India soon. The Indian government notified the relatives arrested in connection with the eight former Indian Navy officers who were detained in 2022 for suspected espionage charges.
Union government released an official statement
The Union government released an official statement welcoming the decision to set the veteran officers free, saying, "The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global Company who were detained in Qatar. Seven out of the eight of them have returned to India. We appreciate the decision by the Amir of the State of Qatar to enable the release and home-coming of these nationals."
