Jaishankar began a three-day visit to Qatar on Monday as part of India’s ongoing outreach to key West Asian countries amid turmoil created by regional conflicts.

“Delighted to meet PM and FM @MBA_AlThani_ in Doha today. My first diplomatic engagement in 2025,” Jaishankar said on X after his meeting with Al Thani, who is also Qatar’s foreign minister.

“A productive review of our bilateral cooperation. Also a wide-ranging discussion on recent regional and global developments,” Jaishankar said without giving details. There was no official readout on the meeting from both sides.

People familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity that the Israel-Hamas conflict and the situation in Syria following the fall of the Bashar Al-Assad government figured in the talks between the two sides.

Jaishankar’s visit was aimed at reviewing various aspects of bilateral relations, including political, trade, investment, energy, security, cultural, and people-to-people ties, and regional and international issues, the external affairs ministry had said earlier.

He travelled to Qatar after a six-day visit to the US, where he met officials of the outgoing Joe Biden administration and members of the transition team of president-elect Donald Trump.

This was Jaishankar’s third visit to Qatar since the two sides resolved an imbroglio last year over eight former Indian Navy personnel who were detained in the West Asian country, reportedly on charges of espionage, and sentenced to death.

The Qatari government released the eight men, after they were given lengthy prison sentences when their death sentences were commuted.

The eight men, employed by a private company called Dahra Global that provided training and other services to Qatar’s armed forces, were detained in August 2022 on undeclared charges and spent months in solitary confinement before being sentenced to death in 2023. Following an appeal, their death sentences were commuted.

Seven of the men returned to India, while one of them continues to be in Qatar. The external affairs ministry has said he is expected to return after the completion of certain formalities.

India’s bilateral trade with Qatar in 2023-24 was worth $14.08 billion. India’s exports to Qatar during this period were valued at $1.7 billion and its imports were worth $12.38 billion. Qatar’s main exports to India include In 2023, India was among Qatar’s top three export destinations, China and South Korea being the other two.

Qatar is also home to 830,000 Indians, who make up the largest expatriate community and are engaged in a wide range of professions.