India, Qatar sign pacts on defence, security

Doha, Nov 9 (IANS) India and Qatar signed two agreements on defence and security cooperation as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in this Gulf nation Sunday evening on the last leg of his two-nation Gulf tour.

The defence agreement includes the issue of maritime security among others while the agreement on security and law enforcement covers issues like common threat perceptions and sharing of data.

The agreements were signed following a meeting between Singh and Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassem Bin Jabor Al-Thani.

Earlier, the prime minister was received at Doha International Airport by Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmad Bin Abdullah Al-Mahmoud, who holds cabinet rank.

This is the first ever visit by an Indian prime minister to this Gulf nation.