Indian warships visit Qatar to strengthen naval ties

NEW DELHI: Indian Naval Ships Deepak, Delhi, Tabar and Trishul are on a month-long deployment to the Gulf to enhance bilateral ties and engage in naval exercises. The visiting ships form part of the Indian Navy’s Western Fleet and are based at Mumbai.

Of the four ships, INS Delhi and INS Trishul entered Doha, Qatar on Monday and shall remain there till September 17, 2015, during which the warships will have professional interactions for enhancing co-operation and sharing the nuances of naval operations including disaster management and combating maritime threats of terrorism and piracy, a Defence Ministry release said.

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Apart from professional interactions, sports and social engagements are also planned, which are aimed at enhancing co-operation and understanding between the Navies, it said.

The Indian Navy also provides training and hydrographic support to several navies in the region. The involvement of Indian Naval ships in combating piracy off the coast of Somalia since October 2008 has further strengthened bilateral ties and interaction with navies in the region, the release added.

India and Qatar are also members of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), a voluntary and co-operative initiative between 35 countries of the Indian Ocean Region, which has served as an ideal forum for sharing of information and cooperation on maritime issues.

The release said, "Bilateral relations between India and Qatar have traditionally focussed on economic and people-to-people linkages. The booming trade relations could soon see India as Qatar’s largest trading partner. The last decade witnessed steady growth in the defence relations between the countries, which was further strengthened by the ‘Defence Cooperation Agreement’ signed between the two countries in November, 2008."

The current visit seeks to underscore India’s peaceful presence and solidarity with the friendly countries in the Gulf and strengthen the existing bonds of friendship between India and Qatar.