India, Qatar explore possibility of bilateral FTA

New Delhi: India and Qatar are "exploring" the possibility of signing a bilateral free trade agreement in future, and this was discussed during the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani on Tuesday, officials said.

Responding to a query during a briefing on the two-day State visit of the Amir to India, Arun Kumar Chatterjee, Secretary (CPV & OIA) in the Ministry of External Affairs, also said India and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) at this moment are "negotiating about having an FTA".

The GCC is an influential grouping comprising the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait.

"India and the Gulf Cooperation Council, we are at this moment, negotiating about having an FTA, a free trade agreement. As far as Qatar is concerned, both sides are exploring the possibility of signing a free trade agreement in future. And, that was one of the discussions that took place in this round of talks," Chatterjee said when asked about the status of the India-GCC FTA negotiations.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi held wide-ranging talks with the Amir at the Hyderbad House as the two leaders decided to elevate India-Qatar relations to a "strategic partnership" with focus on trade, investments, technology, energy and people-to-people ties, further cementing the "deep and traditional relationship" between the two countries.

Briefing reporters, Chatterjee also said Modi and the Qatari Amir decided to set a target to double bilateral trade from the current $14 billion to $28 billion over the next five years.

The GCC, a six-nation grouping is headquartered in Riyadh.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in September 2024 had visited Riyadh to attend the first India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) foreign ministers' meeting.

Ahead of EAM's visit, the MEA had said that India and the GCC enjoy a deep and multifaceted relationship, including in areas of trade and investment, energy, cultural and people-to-people ties.

Chatterjee also emphasised on Prime Minister Modi and the Amir of Qatar deciding to elevate India-Qatar relations to a "strategic partnership".

"The strategic partnership agreement actually elevates the present state of bilateral relationship to a strategic level. What we are looking at is deepening cooperation in fields of trade, energy, security, as well as in regional and international fora," he told reporters here.

"As you know within the GCC, India has strategic partnerships with the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Kuwait," Chatterjee said.