India, Qatar Hold Joint Working Group Meeting To Boost Bilateral Trade

The delegates of India and Qatar held a Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting in Doha on various topics related to trade, highlighted the Ministry of Commerce & Industry on Friday. The Indian delegation consisted of officers from the Department of Commerce and other Ministries.

"An Indian delegation comprising of officers from the Department of Commerce and other Ministries and organisations held a Joint Working Group (JWG) meeting with the Qatari side in Doha on 10 July 2024," said the ministry.

During the meeting, both sides also reviewed the progress of ongoing discussions for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Food Safety and Cooperation in exchange of pre-arrival information for the facilitation of trade and customs control on goods and agreed to conclude them expeditiously.

Both sides agreed to expeditiously address all issues impeding bilateral trade and facilitate trade promotion between the two countries.

The delegates also discussed the possible mechanism to activate the Joint Business Council to carry out its assigned role in following up and implementing the private sector's visions and proposals for trade and investment cooperation.

Both sides undertook a detailed review of recent developments in bilateral trade and economic cooperation and noted that the relationship has a huge potential to be scaled up even further. To this effect, both sides identified several areas of focus for enhancing both bilateral trade as well as mutually beneficial cooperation sectors.

These include Gems and Jewellery, cooperation between customs authorities, trade in local currency, pharmaceuticals, food processing and food security, cooperation in MSME, etc.

The JWG meeting was co-chaired by the Economic Advisor, Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India, Priya P. Nair and Director of International Cooperation and Trade Agreements at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of the State of Qatar, Saleh Al-Mana.

According to the ministry data, the bilateral trade between India and Qatar stood at USD 14.08 billion in 2023-24. India is the second largest trading partner to Qatar. Both sides agreed to hold the next meeting of the JWG in 2025, in New Delhi.

The ministry stated that the deliberations of the first session of India-Qatar JWG were cordial and forward-looking, reflecting the friendly and special relations between the two countries. (ANI)