New Delhi: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar will represent India at the inauguration of the FIFA World Cup in Qatar on Sunday, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday.

At the invitation of Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Amir of the State of Qatar, the Vice President of India will pay an official visit to Qatar on 20-21 November, it said.

Besides attending the inaugural ceremony of the football World Cup, the vice president will also interact with members of the Indian community during his visit.

The Vice President’s visit would be an opportunity to join a close and friendly country Qatar as it hosts a major sporting event and also to acknowledge the role played and support extended by Indians in this World Cup, the MEA statement said.

India and Qatar enjoy close and friendly relations with multifaceted partnership extending to areas of trade, energy, security, defence, health, culture, education, among others, the statement said, adding that in the last financial year, bilateral trade crossed US $15 billion.

Qatar plays an important partner in India’s energy security and India participates in the gulf nation’s food security.

India and Qatar would be celebrating 50 years of establishment of full diplomatic relations next year.

The MEA statement said people to people ties form an important element of bilateral relationship with over 840,000 Indians in Qatar.