PM Modi speaks to Emir of Qatar as India steps up West Asia outreach

The Hindu

06-05-2025

The Union government stepped up its outreach to West Asia amid tensions with Pakistan, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani, and the External Affairs Minister will meet Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, who arrives in Delhi on Wednesday (May 7, 2025).
The moves came even as the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation Mission at the United Nations in New York issued a statement expressing concern about the 'deteriorating security environment' in South Asia, and criticising India for 'hostile rhetoric', while condemning the terror attack in Pahalgam.
In a sharp response to the OIC statement, which had also expressed support for Pakistan and called for Kashmiri 'self-determination', the External Affairs Ministry said the statement had been issued at the behest of Pakistan, calling it 'absurd'.
The Ministry rejected any interference by the 57-nation grouping into India's 'internal affairs'
In a statement, the Ministry said the Emir of Qatar had conveyed condolences for the victims of the attack and 'expressed full support in India's fight against terrorism and all its actions to bring the perpetrators to justice'.
The statement of support to India came even as Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani met with visiting Pakistani Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi in Doha. A statement released by the Qatari PMO said only that they had discussed 'bilateral cooperation relations and ways to support and develop them, along with several issues of joint interest'.
Iran FM's visit
The External Affairs Ministry announced that the Iranian Foreign Minister will arrive in Delhi on Wednesday (May 6, 2025) afternoon, and hold talks with Mr. Jaishankar on Thursday (May 8, 2025), along with co-chairing the Joint Commission Meeting on economic issues. He will also call on President Droupadi Murmu during his visit, indicating the importance South Block is giving to the visit by Mr. Araghchi.
However, the government is unlikely to take up Mr. Araghchi's offer to mediate between Iran's two 'brotherly neighbours' India and Pakistan. During a visit to Islamabad on Monday, the Iranian Foreign Minister, who met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari, and Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir, told reporters that his mission in the region was to 'get a clear understanding of the current situation'.
The engagement with Iran and Qatar follows Mr. Modi's conversations with leaders of Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the UAE in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack in which 26 men – 25 tourists and one local person – were killed.
However, as India began preparations and drills for a possible military strike on Pakistan, in response to the attack, many countries, including Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, along with the U.K., the U.S., and the European Union, had also issued statement calling for de-escalation and resolving issues through dialogue and diplomacy, which New Delhi has not responded to. New Delhi did not respond to a statement by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday calling for an 'independent and transparent investigation' into the attacks.