NEW DELHI: Speculation is rife on whether the 2025 Republic Day chief guest will be Qatar’s Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.

With no official confirmation yet, there is speculation as External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar will visit Doha, Qatar, for the fourth time this year, which begins today.

Dr Jaishankar visited Doha less than a month ago for the Doha Forum, with earlier visits in June and February this year.

Qatar is a strong trade partner of India, and bilateral trade between India and Qatar stood at USD 14.08 billion in 2023–24.

A joint working group (JWG) meeting is also scheduled to be held in India in 2025.

One may recall that India managed the biggest diplomatic coup earlier this year when Qatar reversed the death penalty of eight Indian naval veterans, which led to seven of them returning to India in February.

Meanwhile, during the upcoming visit, Dr Jaishankar will meet the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.

“EAM’s visit will enable both sides to review various aspects of bilateral relations, including political, trade, investment, energy, security, cultural, and people-to-people, as well as the regional and international issues of mutual interest,” says the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).