New Indian ambassador Dr Deepak Mittal has lauded the efforts of the community to support fellow Indians in distress during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The envoy who took charge as a few days ago also highlighted the long-standing and cordial relations between Qatar and India and assured the continued support of the embassy to endeavours aimed at the welfare of the community members.
Mittal was speaking to the Indian community in his maiden address in Qatar during the Indian Independence Day celebrations at the embassy on Saturday.
“Qatar and India have a very good and cordial bilateral relationship. We have seen it grow from strength to strength over the past years. The Indian community has been the backbone of this great relationship and provided the strong foundation for such a relationship to grow and prosper. During my meeting to present the credentials, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani had a lot of positive things to say about the Indian community and vividly recounted the contributions of the community for the development of the country,” Mittal said.
The envoy said the Indian community has worked together as one body to face the challenges posed by Covid-19. “The community came together and worked selflessly to reach out to everyone who were in distress. We worked together and showed to the world that in Qatar we represent the cosmos of the Indian society as we come together, work together and help each and every one. We helped not only fellow Indians but also other people in Qatar, which is the uniqueness of Indian culture of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam',” he said.
He also thanked the government of Qatar for facilitating the return of a large number of Indians stranded in Qatar during this pandemic and said that an agreement has been reached between the tto set up an air bubble travel arrangement for the return of Indians to Qatar.
“We have an understanding and agreement to setting up an air bubble travel arrangement between the two countries so that people from India and Qatar can travel and families can be reunited, students can join their educational institutions and people can return and resume their jobs. Both the Qatari and Indian authorities have worked out this arrangement,” he added.
