VP Dhankhar arrives in Doha to attend FIFA WC opening ceremony

DOHA: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday arrived in Doha for a two-day visit to the Gulf Kingdom during which he will represent India at the inauguration of the FIFA World Cup.

Dhankhar is visiting Doha at the invitation of Qatar Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

''Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar arrives to a warm welcome in Doha, Qatar,'' External Affairs Ministry spokesman Arindam Bagchi tweeted.

Besides attending the inaugural ceremony of the football World Cup, the vice president will also interact with members of the Indian community during his visit.

The vice president's visit would be an opportunity to join a close and friendly country Qatar as it hosts a major sporting event and also to acknowledge the role played and support extended by Indians in this World Cup, an MEA statement said on Friday.

India and Qatar enjoy close and friendly relations with multi-faceted partnership extending to areas of trade, energy, security, defence, health, culture, education, among others, the MEA statement said.

In the last financial year, bilateral trade crossed USD 15 billion (one billion=100 crore). Qatar plays an important partner in India's energy security and India participates in the gulf nation's food security.

India and Qatar would be celebrating 50 years of establishment of full diplomatic relations next year.

The MEA statement said people-to-people ties form an important element of bilateral relationship with over 840,000 Indians in Qatar.