India will engage with Qatar in Afghanistan as its position differs from that of Pakistan, which has close ties to the Kandahari faction rather than the ISI-backed Haqqani network. Strengthening the relationship with the Philippines after BrahMos’ after-sales is a priority for EAM Jaishankar.
From left: Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, EAM S Jaishankar and Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin.
Foreign Minister S Jaishankar will today engage with his Qatari counterpart on Afghanistan, bilateral investment and the Comprehensive Energy Partnership, ahead of his trip to the Quartet Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Australia on Friday.
Following the four-way talks, the Indian foreign minister will visit Manila for the first time in nine years to cement bilateral ties with the Philippines after the Philippines signed a $375 million contract to buy the BrahMos anti-ship missile system. The Brahmos hypersonic missile, which has a range of less than 300 kilometers, will act as a deterrent to China, which has been in a territorial dispute with Manila in the Indo-Pacific region.
The Philippines has signed a $375 million BrahMos missile procurement contract. (HT file photo)
According to diplomats in Doha and New Delhi, EAM Jaishankar will meet Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani to discuss work in the ultra-conservative Sunni The issue of stability in Afghanistan after the Taliban took over Kabul. Haqqani Network, a designated terrorist organization.
Qatar’s position and goals in Afghanistan are understood to be based on the stabilization and re-emergence of the Taliban Kandahari faction, which has been marginalized by the Pakistan-backed Haqqani network in Kabul. Qatar has close ties to traditional Taliban leadership such as Mullah Baradar and Sher Mohamed Stanekzai, who were members of the Taliban’s political office in Doha. Not only has Qatar been providing humanitarian aid to Taliban-occupied Kabul, which has a similar status to the West, but unlike Pakistan, it does not need to provide aid in Kabul’s name. Despite Pakistan’s deep state intrigue, India has also been delivering humanitarian aid to Kabul.
While Afghanistan will be at the top of the bilateral discussions, EAM Jaishankar will also review energy ties with its Qatari counterpart, with Doha supplying nearly 40% of India’s natural gas needs. The two countries have decided to upgrade their energy relationship to a comprehensive long-term partnership that goes beyond a buyer-seller relationship. The working group established in 2020 is already working on a comprehensive partnership and has made progress at three meetings over the past year.
With Qatari Foreign Minister Al Thani also chairing the Qatar Investment Authority, New Delhi is considering investing in natural gas supplies for Indian cities in Doha through dedicated terminals, pipelines and energy grids. This is because India wants to move to a gas-based economy, rather than being stuck in an unstable crude-oil-based network.
EAM Jaishankar is expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin in Manila on February 13 to cement ties with key players in the Indo-Pacific region. Instead of waiting for a general election in the Philippines, EAM Jaishankar decided to land in Manila on Sunday to maintain continuity in relations with the Indo-Pacific, which is at the top of the agenda.
While Vietnam has been discussing the possibility of buying BrahMos missiles from India for the past decade, the Philippines became the first major power in East Asia to buy supersonic anti-ship missiles. Unlike Vietnam, the Philippines has been unequivocal about China’s bellicose behavior in the South China Sea, and Beijing has disputed Manila’s claims to the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal. The Philippines hopes that China will abide by the law of the sea and allow free navigation in the South China Sea.
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