India, April 10 -- The two-week ceasefire window in the West Asia has helped New Delhi to intensify its energy security efforts in the Gulf region with petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri visiting India's biggest natural gas supplier Qatar from Thursday, while external affairs minister S Jaishankar is heading to oil-rich United Arab Emirates on Saturday.

Besides supply of crude oil, liquefied national gas (LNG) and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), the high-level engagements with energy-rich Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries are of significance as India and GCC are currently negotiating a free trade agreement (FTA).

Additionally, one of the six GCC nations (the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia) have invested in ...