Relations between Qatar and France are deep-rooted and this was reaffirmed by the recent visit of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to France, French ambassador Eric Chevallier told Gulf Times yesterday.
Chevallier made the observation on the occasion of a reception hosted by him in Doha last evening to celebrate the French National Day.
He also noted that “an ambitious programme was being planned for the Qatar-France 2020 Year of Culture”.
The event was attended by HE the Minister of Municipality and Environment Mohamed bin Abdullah al-Rumaihi, HE the Minister of Transport and Communications Jassim Seif Ahmed al-Sulaiti and Ibrahim Yousif Abdullah Fakhro, director of protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 
Also present on the occasion were Qatari dignitaries, members of the diplomatic community from various missions in Qatar and a large number of French expatriates.
“Relations between our two countries have become stronger and richer over the past four years, including since June 2017 and the beginning of the blockade, which France demands be lifted,” the ambassador said.
“In a region under extreme tensions, our bilateral relations have deepened, first at the political level, with the visits of His Highness the Amir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al- Thani, to Paris — once in September 2017 and then a few days ago, as well as the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Doha last December,” said Chevallier.
The French envoy stressed that ties between the two countries have been enriched in many areas. “Our co-operation in terms of security, justice and defence has been reinforced.” 
Collaborations in the fight against terrorism, its financing, as well as the fight against radicalisation, are engaged at a new dynamic level since the visit of the French president, he added.
“In the last four years, many major contracts have been concluded between our two countries and they will contribute to the sustainable structuring of our bilateral relations,” noted Chevallier.
“We have moved forward with our Qatari partners in setting up an ambitious programme for the Qatar-France 2020 Year of Culture. The embassy has also played an active role, together with the Institut Français, in the establishment — in Doha — of the first European cultural cluster in the region,” the envoy explained.
Praising the efforts of Qatar in providing the best facilities for labourers in Qatar, Chevallier said: “I truly hope that active concertation between the Qatari authorities, the countries of origin of the workers, the remarkable team of the International Labour Organisation present here in Doha, as well as social and economic stakeholders will allow Qatar to become an example to be followed in the region in terms of living and working conditions of foreign workers.”
He highlighted the co-operation between the two countries with regard to Rafale aircraft, the partnership between Qatar Petroleum and Total for the Al Shaheen field, the operation and maintenance of the Doha Metro and the tramway in Lusail by SNCF and RATP as well as the consolidation of relations between Airbus and Qatar Airways.
“Our current commercial relations have also developed significantly and the number of French companies present in Doha has increased.
In the scientific, medical  and higher education domain, new links have been established between Qatar and the  prestigious Institut Pasteur  de Paris, as well as between  many French universities or ‘Grandes Écoles’ and Qatar University or Qatar Foundation,” he added.

Amir congratulates French president

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and His Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad al-Thani sent yesterday cables of congratulations to French President Emmanuel Macron on his country’s National Day. HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani sent a similar cable to French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe.