Qatar and France have forged a deeply-rooted strategic partnership in the past four years with increased co-operation across diplomatic, defence, economic, and cultural sectors, in addition to high-level visits, the outgoing French ambassador Jean-Baptiste Faivre said.
“I think the best reflection of the renewed strength of the strategic partnership between France and Qatar was His Highness’ State visit to France in February 2024. It was the first State visit in 15 years. It showed how much France and Qatar have built strong co-operation in every field,” he told reporters at a press briefing on Sunday at his residence in Doha.
Faivre is set to leave Doha Monday, marking the end of a four-year tenure that witnessed a significant deepening of the strategic partnership between the two countries. He said he is expected to continue his diplomatic career with a posting within the region.
On the diplomatic front, the envoy underlined the high level of confidence that has been built, enabling constant co-ordination on pressing global issues. “Our co-ordination has been constant, at many levels, on many issues, on particular Gaza and Lebanon,” he said, noting the seven visits from French foreign ministers and the three strategic dialogues, including one scheduled later this month in Paris.
The envoy pointed out that these dialogues involve key figures like HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani, and his French counterpart, fostering critical discussions and collaborative problem-solving.
The establishment of the strategic dialogue mechanism was a key accomplishment of Faivre’s tenure, representing the pinnacle of the mutual trust that has positioned Qatar and France as steadfast partners.
“It is the pinnacle as well as the illustration of the highest level of confidence our countries have reached, which make them all-time and all-weather partners now,” he said.
Faivre noted that the robust diplomatic ties were further demonstrated by numerous high-level visits. President Macron visited Doha four times during the envoy’s term, accompanied by frequent visits from the French ministers of foreign affairs and defence, enabling consistent consultation on critical geopolitical issues such as Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and Afghanistan.
“I am very glad that we’ve created long-term partnerships in humanitarian action and development aid. Many thanks to our partners in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Qatar Fund for Development, and all other agencies,” he said.
In the area of defence, Faivre stressed that co-operation has reached an unprecedented level with the implementation of operational partnership and training activities. This, he said, was highlighted by the bilateral joint exercise “Al Koot” in Qatar in 2024, involving 450 French soldiers.
Reciprocal training activities, such as the pilot training programme at the Qatar Air Academy for four French pilot officers, showed the strong ties between the armed forces, the envoy said. He noted that Qatar’s confidence in French defence industries, as demonstrated by ongoing acquisition projects, promises to shape defence relations for years to come.
Faivre said security co-operation between France and Qatar, a longstanding tradition, was underscored by the joint efforts for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022 and the upcoming Olympics in Paris in 2024.
He lauded Qatar’s emergence as a prominent sports nation, recalling the numerous sporting events he attended in Doha. He also expressed personal support for the Duhail football team.
Faivre highlighted the enhanced ambition in the economic and finance sectors, building upon already strong ties in areas such as energy, artificial intelligence, and digital technology.
He noted the significant progress in cultural relations, citing the recent visit of French Minister of Culture Rachida Dati and the signing of six framework agreements between leading cultural institutions.
In the field of higher education, Faivre said: “Many efforts have been made to enhance academic co-operation. This has led to numerous agreements signed between French and Qatari institutions. We have successful partnerships between University Paris 1-Panthéon Sorbonne and Lusail University as well as between Sciences Po and Doha institute.
“Overall, I leave Qatar with a deep feeling of gratitude and also confidence when I look at what’s next for Qatar and France. Long live our friendship. I want to extend my special and deep thanks to the Qatari authorities – and in particular His Highness the Amir and HE the Prime Minister – for their trust and support of my mission,” Faivre added.
Outgoing French ambassador Jean-Baptiste Faivre speaks to the media at his residence on Sunday
