New Delhi: The State of Qatar has participated in the 29th edition of the Partnership Summit 2024, which was held over two days in the Indian capital, New Delhi.
The State of Qatar's delegation was headed by Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry HE Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Sayed.
The State of Qatar's participation in the Partnership Summit 2024 comes within the framework of its efforts to enhance its trade and investment cooperation with India, and to highlight the investment climate in the country, and the promising investment opportunities that will attract more foreign direct investment, and expand trade partnership opportunities in various sectors of common interest.
In his speech at the opening session, HE the Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs stressed the strength of relations between the State of Qatar and India, noting that Qatar and India enjoy strong and well-established relations based on mutual trust and fruitful cooperation over the years, as their partnership has been strengthened under the umbrella of the vision of their shared leadership, which seeks to diversify, enhance and deepen bilateral cooperation.
HE the Minister highlighted the remarkable growth in the volume of trade exchange between the two countries, which has witnessed a 55 percent increase since 2020, reaching nearly $14 billion in 2023.
His Excellency said that India is Qatar's second largest trading partner, and Indian investors contribute to more than 20,000 companies and projects in the Qatari market, expressing his aspiration for a promising future for the economic and investment partnership between the two countries.
On the sidelines of the summit, HE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Sayed, met with HE Piyush Goyal, Minister of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of India and Chairman of the Partnership Summit, where the two sides discussed means to enhance the trade partnership between the two countries and increase the volume of trade exchange, and new opportunities for cooperation in the field of foreign trade were also discussed.
HE the Minister also met with Sanjeev Puri, Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry and Co-Chair of the Summit, to review ways to increase cooperation between the private sector, increase the number of companies in the two countries, and enhance joint investments in the Qatari and Indian markets.
HE the Minister also held a meeting with a number of representatives of Indian private sector companies, where they reviewed the developments witnessed by the Qatari economy in recent years, discussed investment opportunities available in various sectors, and highlighted the legislation stimulating investment and initiatives launched by the State to support the private sector, with the aim of attracting more foreign direct investment and enhancing the presence of global companies in the Qatari market.
The Partnership Summit, which is attended by ministers, officials, decision-makers, entrepreneurs, international organizations and investors from around the world, is a platform for global dialogue aimed at focusing on international economic relations and playing a greater role in shaping the journey of developing the global economy.