Qatar’s ambassador in Paris Sheikh Ali bin Jassim al-Thani affirmed that the state visit of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to France represents the culmination of steady path of the distinguished historical and strategic relationship between the two nations.
In remarks to Qatar News Agency (QNA), the ambassador said the visit highlights the outstanding progress of relations between the two countries, the tremendous advancement the relations have achieved, as well as the joint keenness to upgrade them further in the political, economic, security, investment, and energy fields.
He discussed the long-standing historical relationship between Qatar and France, pointing out that they are evolving and getting stronger, by virtue of the meetings and engagements between the leaderships of the two nations, along with the co-ordination in a variety of fields, such as their agreement to constantly strive to put an end to upheaval in numerous countries of the region to ultimately achieve peace, particularly the joint efforts of the two nations in Lebanon.
He outlined that the Qatari and French sides underscore the significance of supporting Lebanon and its people to overcome crises, including their commitment to carrying out economic reforms to ensure a more prosperous future for the Lebanese people by emphasising the importance of safeguarding Lebanon’s sovereignty and independence.
The second strategic dialogue session between Qatar and France was held at the Amiri Diwan on June 8, 2023, chaired by HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani and French Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna, during which they discussed the strategic relationships between them, the outcomes of the working groups of the strategic dialogue, in addition to the latest regional and global developments, especially the Palestinian cause, Sudan, Libya, Syria, Afghanistan, the Horn of Africa, and the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, the ambassador said.
The two sides lauded the major progress made to strengthen their partnership since the first convention of the first strategic dialogue in March 2022 and reiterated their ironclad commitment to reinforcing co-operation and the full potential of their relationship in all fields, chiefly the outcomes of the dialogue, he added.
In the economic field, the ambassador said that the trade exchange figures between the two nations have shown a steady annual growth in recent years, noting that Qatar plays a critical role in securing gas supplies to many countries of the world, including France, noting the role of Qatari investments in supporting the French economy, which it ranked first among investments coming from the Middle East in providing and maintaining job opportunities in France.
He touched on the role of the bilateral fund that was established between the two countries in 2013 with a value of 300mn euros, and renewed in 2023 at the same value, providing the necessary financing for innovative French companies with a promising future.
