HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani will head Qatar’s delegation participating in the 8th Meeting of the Qatar-Singapore High-Level Joint Committee, during His Excellency’s visit to the Republic of Singapore, which starts Wednesday and lasts until Aug. 26.
During the media brief held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Advisor to HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari indicated that the visit comes within the framework of strengthening the relations between the two countries, as His Excellency will meet with HE President of the Republic of Singapore Halimah Yacob, HE Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong, HE Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security of the Republic of Singapore Teo Chee Hean, and HE Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Singapore Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan.
During the visit, His Excellency will deliver a lecture, which is the first in the ‘Raffles’ lecture series held by the national institute for strategic studies in Singapore and will deal with the principles of Qatari foreign policy and the relations between Qatar and ASEAN, especially Singapore, he added.
The Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed out that, during the visit, His Excellency will be accompanied by HE Minister of Finance Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, HE Minister of Commerce and Industry Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Qassim Al-Thani, HE Minister of Education and Higher Education Buthaina bint Ali Al Jabr Al Nuaimi, HE Minister of Social Development and Family Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad, HE President of the Civil Service and Government Development Bureau Abdulaziz bin Nasser Al Khalifa, HE Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZA) Ahmad bin Mohammed Al Sayed, and HE Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker.
He stressed that Asia is of great importance to the State of Qatar at all levels, especially economic, political, and social, as Qatar is an Asian country and must have a role in its wide region, pointing out that the largest importers of Qatari gas are Asian countries.
Dr. Al Ansari noted that the relations between Qatar and its continent are pivotal, continuous, and extremely important, as Asian countries are among the most important partners in the field of energy and investment, and the challenges of regional and international security and peace are common challenges that can only be worked on collectively. He indicated that during recent years these relations have been developed and many agreements have been signed that reflect Qatar’s great interest in its relations with Asia.
The Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani held a phone call on Tuesday with HE Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea Park Jin and that the phone call discussed cooperation relations between the two countries and ways of supporting and developing them, in addition to several regional and international issues of common concern.
During the phone call, HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and HE Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea praised the level of advanced relations between the two countries and agreed to deepen them in all fields in light of the passage of 50 years since their establishment by 2024. They expressed their aspiration for joint work in the 19th Korea-Middle East Cooperation Forum, which will take place in November in Seoul. The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea wished the State of Qatar a successful hosting of the Expo 2023 Doha.
Within the framework of developing bilateral relations between Qatar and the Republic of Chad, Dr. Al Ansari stated that HE Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Khulaifi will meet Wednesday with HE Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Integration, International Cooperation and Chadians Abroad of the Republic of Chad Mahamat Saleh Annadif, to discuss relations between the two countries, in addition various regional and international developments.
Regarding the developments in the Afghan issue, the Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted the meeting of HE Special Envoy of the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Counter-Terrorism and Mediation in Conflict Resolution Dr. Mutlaq bin Majed Al Qahtani with HE Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) for Afghanistan Roza Otunbayeva, where they discussed the cooperation relations between the State of Qatar and the UN, and the latest developments in Afghanistan.
Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari indicated that the meeting comes within the framework of the State of Qatar’s continuous interest in the Afghan issue and the need to support various international efforts, especially through international institutions.
The Advisor to HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reviewed the efforts of the ministry and its officials over the past week, including the meeting of HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani with HE Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of Mali Abdoulaye Diop.
He also addressed the meeting of HE Minister of State for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lolwah bint Rashid Al Khater in Budapest with HE Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary Peter Szijjarto and HE Minister of Finance of Hungary Mihaly Varga to discuss cooperation relations between the two countries, especially in the fields of international cooperation, economy, environment, and industry.
Dr. Al Ansari pointed out the statements issued by the State of Qatar, including the statement where Qatar strongly condemned the Israeli aggression against the city of Jenin in the West Bank, which led to the fall of a Palestinian martyr, as well as the storming of dozens of settlers into Al Aqsa Mosque, and performing Talmudic rituals in its courtyards, considering these attacks a new episode in the series of continuous and horrific crimes against the defenseless Palestinian people. Qatar also stated that these crimes represent a provocation to the feelings of more than two billion Muslims around the world, and a flagrant violation of the international law and resolutions of international legitimacy, he added.
In another statement, the State of Qatar expressed its deep concern over the developments in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, and called on all parties involved to avoid escalation, exercise maximum restraint, heed the voice of reason, pursue dialogue to overcome differences, and spare civilians the consequences of the fighting, he noted, adding that Qatar also expressed its full support for the efforts made by United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) to achieve peace and stability in the country.
Source: Qatar News Agency