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PM Narendra Modi Arrives In Switzerland

He was writing on Twitter after officials from gas-rich Qatar and India signed seven agreements covering areas such as investment, financial intelligence and education.

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Both sides are expected to sign a few agreements.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday arrived in Switzerland from Qatar on the third leg of his five-nation tour with the issues of black money and India’s membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) high on agenda.

An MoU was signed between Financial Intelligence Unit – India (FIU-IND) and the Qatar Financial Information Unit (QFIU) concerning cooperation in the exchange of intelligence related to money laundering, terrorism-financing and related crimes.

Starting with Afghanistan, Modi along with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani inaugurated the India-built Rs 1,700 crore Salma Dam – rechristened Afghan-India Friendship Dam – in Herat province, created to irrigate 75,000 hectares of land and generate 42 MW of power.

Briefing reporters, Sinha said, “They (Qatari side) also realise that terror does pose a threat to both of us and to our region”.

The two sides discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in the field of cyber security, including prevention of the use of cyberspace in support of terrorism, extremism and dismantling the social fabric. In April, Modi visited Saudi Arabia and, in May, Modi conferred with Iranian officials, becoming the first Indian prime minister to visit Tehran for a state visit in over a decade.

But it is Mr Modi’s forthcoming fourth visit to the United States in less than two years that has sent clear signals to Islamabad.

The meeting between the two leaders is the second in a span of weeks.

The daily said the USA is encouraging the rise of India as a giant Asian partner to balance China, and India is trying to accelerate its economy with an injection of investment from American companies.

Qatar and India described the bilateral trade relations as “a link binding the two countries”, taking into account the outstanding bilateral trade exchange. Human resource development matters such as encouraging Swiss Model of learning as part of the human resources development initiatives also likely to come up during the bilateral discussions.

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Keeping in line with his tendency to pitch India as a destination for foreign investment, Modi outlined opportunities in the country for Qatari business leaders on Sunday. The Indian premier and the accompanying delegation were seen off upon departure at Hamad International Airport by HE the Finance Minister Ali Sherif al-Emadi, Qatar’s ambassador to India, Ahmed Ibrahim Abdullah al-Abdullah, and India’s ambassador to Qatar, Sanjeev Arora.

Modi inaugurates $290m Salma dam in Afghanistan