Doha, October 10 (QNA) – The GCC Ministers of Culture wound up in Riyadh Wednesday their 19th meeting and recommended developing a mechanism for electronic linkage among cultural institutions and national libraries in GCC countries to facilitate cooperation among them.
Saudi Arabia was entrusted with explaining to the GCC Secretariat its experience in the field of electronic connectivity.
Qatar’s delegation to the meeting was led by
HE Mubarak Bin Nasser Al Khalifa, Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage on behalf of Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari, Minister of Culture.
On the recommendations of the meeting,  Al Khalifa said that after the adoption of the draft agenda the ministers said it was necessary that each GCC country provide a detailed report on the activities it implemented during 2011-2012.
The ministers recommended that their Cultural Committee examine all the recommendations and observations made by Member States about the implementation of each activity and choosing the topics to be forwarded to the culture undersecretaries after preparing the necessary recommendations.
The ministerial meeting emphasized the need to implement the activities and programs approved in accordance with the schedule for the years 2013- 2016. 
Regarding cultural cooperation between the GCC countries and Turkey, the ministers  recommended that the General Secretariat ask the Cultural Committee to prepare for the cultural days in Turkey.
The Ministers welcomed the invitation extended to them by the UAE Minister of Culture and Youths to take part in a meeting in the UAE that will explain the experience it gained from organizing cultural days held in Turkey in 2012.
As regards cultural cooperation between the GCC countries and the  Association of South East Asian Countries ASEAN, emphasis was laid on the need to enhance joint cooperation and to pursue preparations to hold a joint meeting.
The ministers underlined the need for cooperation between the GCC and the EU, decided to delay the setting up of a joint forum and cultural days in China and called for establishing joint cultural centers and a data base for those working in the field in GCC countries.
The ministers underlined the importance of establishing a center for translation and Arabization and lending more emphasis to the Arabic language.
The ministers will hold their next meeting in Bahrain in 2013 in accordance with the invitation of the Bahraini Minister of  Culture Sheikha Maye  Mohammed Al Khalifa. (QNA)

Doha, October 10 (QNA) – The State of Qatar is Taking Part in the twenty-eighth meeting of the Standing Committee of the Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC) currently under way  in Istanbul.
Qatar’s delegation is headed by HE  the  Minister of Business and Trade Sheikh Jassim bin Abdulaziz Al-Thani.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Business and Trade today said that the meeting discussed a number of issues including the implementation of the ten-year programme of action of the  Organization of Islamic Cooperation(OIC) and the plan of action plan for strengthening economic and trade cooperation among OIC member states and also reviewed the most important global economic developments, intra-trade among OIC member countries and  priority sectors such as agriculture, tourism, transport and financial cooperation.
The statement added that the meeting also saw  discussion of other topics related to poverty alleviation and the  strengthening of the private sector’s role in economic and trade cooperation, in addition to an exchange of  views on enhancing the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises in OIC member states.
The Qatari company for the development of small and medium scale industries presented Qatar’s experience in this area.
HE Sheikh Jassim bin Abdul Aziz Al Thani meanwhile pointed out that Qatar attaches great importance to the strengthening of economic and trade cooperation between OIC member states, noting that it contributed to the ten-year plan of action through  participation in the implementation of the programmes and plans set by the organization.
He explained that  Qatar has ratified in this regard  the framework agreement of the Trade Preference System (TPS) of  the Protocol on Preferential Tariff Scheme (PRETAS) and OIC Rules of Origin, and  also increased its subscription in the capital of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB).

HE the Minister of Business and Trade urged member states to take necessary measures towards the implementation and activation of  the Trade Preferential System which would pave the way for achieving the goal of increasing trade between OIC countries, and to take the necessary measures to improve the investment climate and to activate the relevant agreements.
He noted that Qatar has been keen on the implementation of the economic openness policy that rely on the open market economy system which is known for free trade and movement of capital, goods and services and promotion of investments, stressing the readiness of Qatar to develop long-term economic and trade relations  in multiple directions incorporating all key components  for attracting foreign investments.
On the sidelines of the meeting, HE the Minister of Business and Trade met with a number of trade and economy  ministers participating in the meeting to  discuss the deepening and expansion of prospects of  cooperation between the State of Qatar and the Islamic countries.
The Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation is one of the four standing committees set up by the Organization to develop issues of critical importance to the organization and its member countries.
COMCEC holds its annual ministerial-level meetings in Istanbul since 1984. During these annual sessions delegations of OIC member countries and institutions discuss a number of items on its agenda  related to various topics connected to  improving  economic and trade cooperation between member countries that cover improving bilateral trade and investment cooperation between key economic and political institutions.(QNA)

Doha, October 10 (QNA) – HE The Prime Minister And Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jabor Al Thani conferred here Wednesday with the visiting Iranian Foreign Minister Dr Ali Akbar Salehi and his accompanying delegation.
Discussions at the meeting focused on relations between the two countries and ways of stepping them up, as well as with a number of regional and international issues of mutual interest, especially the situation in Syria. (QNA)

Brussels, October 10 (QNA) – HE The Minister of State For Foreign Affairs Dr Khalid Bin Mohamed Al Attiyah opened on Wednesday the Qatar-European Friendship Society at the European Parliament in the presence of HE Sheikh Ali Bin Jassim Al Thani, Qatar’s ambassador to Belgium and the EU, as well as the Qatari embassy staff and the delegation accompanying the minister.
The opening ceremony was attended by a large number of European parliamentarians who praised the opening of the society, the first if its kind between the GCC and the EU, underlining the important role Qatar is playing on the international scene. (QNA)

بروكسل في 10 اكتوبر /قنا/ افتتح سعادة الدكتور خالد بن محمد العطية وزير الدولة للشؤون الخارجية، اليوم جمعية الصداقة القطرية – الأوروبية في البرلمان الأوروبي بحضور سعادة الشيخ علي بن جاسم آل ثاني سفير دولة قطر لدى مملكة بلجيكا والإتحاد الأوروبي وأعضاء السفارة والوفد المرافق لسعادة الوزير.
حضر الافتتاح عدد كبير من النواب الأوروبيين الذين يمثلون مختلف اللجان بالبرلمان الأوروبي والذين اعربوا عن سعادتهم لاطلاق جمعية الصداقة القطرية – الأوروبية التي تعتبر الأولى من نوعها بين دول مجلس التعاون لدول الخليج العربية والاتحاد الاوروبي، مشيرين إلى الدور المحوري والهام الذي تلعبه دولة قطر على الساحة الدولية.

Doha, October 10 (QNA) – HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, received at his Emiri Diwan Office here on Wednesday Alan Duncan , the British secretary of State for Development Affairs, who called on to greet the Emir on the occasion of his current visit to Qatar. (QNA)

Doha, October 10 (QNA) – HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, received at his Emiri Diwan Office here on Wednesday HRH Prince Bandar Bin Sultan Bin Abdulaziz, the chief of the Saudi Intelligence Agency and his accompanying delegation.
 HH the Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani attended the audience.
Talks during the audience dealt with the brotherly relations between the two countries and other issues of mutual concern.