Sitharaman holds bilateral meetings with Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Jordan, Nepal in Doha

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman held a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) 2026 Annual Meeting in Doha, discussing investment, trade and economic cooperation with Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and Jordan, besides post-flood reconstruction support and digital payments connectivity with Nepal.

According to the Ministry of Finance, Sitharaman’s meeting with Saudi Arabia’s Finance Minister Mohammed Al-Jadaan focused on strengthening bilateral investment ties. She welcomed the successful conclusion of negotiations on the India-Saudi Arabia Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT), which is expected to provide a more predictable framework for investments between the two countries and boost investor confidence.

Al-Jadaan expressed interest in attracting investments from India, the Ministry said.

In a separate meeting with Switzerland’s AIIB Governor and Ambassador Pietro Lazzeri, Sitharaman highlighted the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) as a platform for foreign investors seeking opportunities in India’s infrastructure sector.

According to the Ministry, Lazzeri said Switzerland sees significant opportunities in India for portfolio diversification and investment. He also noted that Swiss foreign direct investment growth in India was outpacing global FDI and sought support for the finalisation of the Bilateral Investment Protection Agreement.

Sitharaman also met Jordan’s Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Zeina Zeid Toukan. Their discussions covered food security, fertilisers, trade and investment.

The Finance Minister noted that India is Jordan’s fourth-largest trading partner and highlighted the target of increasing bilateral trade to USD 5 billion by 2030.

Toukan said India is a critical market for Jordan and expressed interest in strengthening cooperation in areas including fertilisers, energy, water and infrastructure projects, the Ministry said.

Separately, Sitharaman held a pull-aside meeting with Nepal Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle to discuss Nepal’s reconstruction and recovery priorities following the floods.

The two sides discussed continued engagement to work out the details of possible Indian support and reviewed progress on projects discussed during their earlier meeting in New Delhi.

The early operationalisation and utilisation of the UPI-NPI linkage, aimed at facilitating digital payments connectivity between India and Nepal, was also discussed, the Ministry said. (ANI)