Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Quatra on Monday thanked the Qatari government and its Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani for releasing eight former Indian navy veterans from Qatar.

Addressing a press conference here, Kwatra also announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Qatar this week after concluding his trip to the UAE and inaugurate the BAPS Hindu Temple in Abu Dhabi. “We are grateful for their return. We deeply appreciate the decision of the Qatari government and the emir to release them. We are happy that seven of them Indian nationals are back,” the external affairs minister told a Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) press conference.

Quatra said the eighth Indian national has also been released and India will continue to work with the Qatari government to see how quickly he can return to India. “The Prime Minister himself has been personally monitoring all developments in the case and has never shied away from any initiative to ensure the return of Indian nationals home,” he added.

At the press conference, Foreign Secretary Modi also visited Qatar. After concluding his visit to the UAE, the Prime Minister will travel to Doha on February 14. During the visit, Prime Minister Modi will hold bilateral talks with the Emir of Qatar and other senior dignitaries of the country. “This will be the Prime Minister’s second visit to Qatar… Bilateral trade between India and Qatar is strong and currently stands at $20 billion,” Quatra said.

Prime Minister Modi’s visit comes amid reports that Prime Minister Modi held talks with the Emir of Qatar in Dubai in early December to push for the release of eight Indian Navy veterans. This was confirmed by Union Minister G Kishan Reddy who revealed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention was key in releasing the Indian Navy personnel. “I want to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” he said.

When asked about the number of Indian prisoners in the UAE, Qatar and other countries, the foreign secretary said, “The Indian government has put in place extensive mechanisms for advisory dialogue and discussions involving the Indian system and the systems of these countries.” He said the main tasks One is to continue efforts for the early release of all Indian prisoners, regardless of their country of origin. “Established mechanisms and systems have also been put in place to ensure that any possible assistance is provided to these prisoners through government mechanisms. These systems have been greatly strengthened and their remit has been extensively expanded,” he added.