Prime Minister Narendra Modi always takes the initiative and talks to leaders of other countries to ensure the safety of Indian nationals abroad, External Affairs Minister Vinay Kwatra said here on Wednesday.

Replying to a question on the release of eight Indian Navy veterans facing death row in Qatar, Kwatra said whenever the Indian community faced problems, the Prime Minister, his leadership and his personal initiatives ensured that they were brought back India.

“This is a direct testament to the sensitive approach taken by the Prime Minister to address the issues faced by the Indian community,” Quatra said during a briefing on the Prime Minister’s visit to the UAE.

The foreign secretary said that whenever Indian nationals faced problems in the past 10 years, it was not just a matter of the Ministry of External Affairs but the measures taken by the entire government to ensure their safety.

“Indian nationals, wherever they are, should receive all possible and appropriate help. These are the instructions of the Prime Minister,” Kwatra said.

“He (the Prime Minister) has taken the initiative to talk to leaders of other countries and ensure that Indian nationals, wherever they are, are kept safe and brought back to India if necessary,” the foreign secretary said.

Quatra said the prime minister would visit Qatar on Wednesday evening, adding that details of his discussions with the UAE leadership would be announced at the time of the discussions.

The Foreign Secretary said that relations between India and Qatar are comprehensive and the Prime Minister’s visit to Doha will take the relations between the two countries to new heights.

Quatra said the Prime Minister has personally taken actions to strengthen India’s relations with countries in the Gulf region.

Earlier this week, Qatar released eight imprisoned former Indian navy personnel who had been sentenced to death for nearly three-and-a-half months on espionage charges.

Seven of the eight Indian nationals returned home on Monday.

The Indian nationals, who were working with private company Al Dahra, were reportedly arrested in August 2022 on suspicion of espionage.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from associated news agency – PTI)