Qatar and US sign MoU on energy co-operation

Qatar and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding for co-operation in the field of energy, in Washington, DC yesterday.
The MoU was signed during a meeting on energy co-operation, on the sidelines of the first US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue, between HE the Minister of Energy and Industry Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada and US Department of Energy Secretary Rick Perry.
According to the Ministry of Energy and Industry, the MoU seeks to create a framework for good-faith co-operation in the field of energy between Qatar and the US and to facilitate their sharing of technical knowledge, advice, skills, and expertise.
The MoU includes, among various areas, oil and gas development; carbon capture utilisation and storage; energy efficiency and renewable energy; green building technologies.
The two sides also discussed ways and means to further develop opportunities for co-operation in the field of energy at large. The US Department of Energy also presented a Letter of Intent on nuclear safeguards.
Dr al-Sada said: “Qatar looks back with great satisfaction to the close understanding and co-operation between the two countries. History of US energy companies in Qatar goes back several decades. Major US energy companies are engaged in Qatari energy ventures across oil, gas and downstream petrochemical and refining industry”.
Al-Sada expressed Qatar’s appreciation to US companies for their support in the development of Qatar’s energy sector, which has benefited both countries and enabled Qatar to meet the world’s energy needs.
HE Dr al-Sada added, “We are confident that the spirit of our co-operation expressed through this strategic dialogue will continue to further strengthen this spirit in future”.

‘Qatar flourishing despite blockade’
HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani has stressed that Qatar is flourishing despite the illegal blockade. “The illegal blockade has presented the opportunity for Qatar to make its economy more accessible to the world. We have seized this opportunity,” he said at a US Chamber of Commerce event.
“Our economy is open and we welcome US businesses and investors to join us to develop our country,” he noted. Meanwhile, addressing the Chamber event, HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani highlighted the strong Qatar-US partnership across multiple areas. “We are coming from Qatar with the desire to develop, and the determination to develop, this partnership further. We are not talking about security and defence only... the business element of this relationship is critical.”