Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Qatar’s Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani at the COP28 summit in Dubai to discuss strengthening bilateral ties and the welfare of the Indian community in Qatar.
This meeting held significance as eight former Indian Navy personnel were sentenced to death by a Qatari court on October 26 for alleged espionage. The Indian government has appealed the sentence.
Modi tweeted about the meeting, stating, “On the sidelines of the COP28 Summit in Dubai yesterday, I had the opportunity to meet HH Sheikh @TamimBinHamad, the Amir of Qatar. We had a good conversation on the potential of bilateral partnership and the well-being of the Indian community in Qatar.”
The Indian nationals, who were employed by private company Al Dahra, were arrested in August last year on espionage charges. The specific accusations against them have not been disclosed by either Qatari authorities or the Indian government.
India expressed deep shock over the court’s ruling and pledged to pursue all legal avenues to seek justice for the men.
Prime Minister Modi had a packed schedule on Friday, addressing four sessions at the UN climate change conference, engaging with various world leaders, and conducting several bilateral meetings.
