Qatar, UK reject use of force in Libya

QNA/Doha

HE the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al-Thani and British Prime Minister David Cameronaddressing a joint press conference in Doha yesterday

Qatar and the United Kingdom have jointly rejected the use of force against peaceful protesters in Libya and expressed deep concern over the growing unrest in the country.
HE the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al-Thani called for resolving the issues through peaceful dialogue in a manner that preserves the capabilities of any state in the region.
Addressing a joint press conference here yesterday with the visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron, Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim said, "We feel pain at what is taking place in Libya and we also feel sorrow for what is happening to the Libyan people who are worthy of leading an honourable life like all other people.”

HH the Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani holding talks with the British Prime Minister David Cameron at the Emiri Diwan yesterday. The Heir Apparent and the British prime minister reviewed bilateral relations and latest regional developments

"Qatar has not committed any crime by standing beside the Libyan people, supporting them and rejecting the use of violence and force by the Libyan government”, the Prime Minister said in reply to criticisms which Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi made in his address to the nation on Tuesday night.
The Prime Minister stressed that there is no feud or dispute between Qatar and the Libyan government. "What we expressed was dismay at the excessive use of force, a matter which Qatar does not accept”.     
As regard criticisms made by the Libyan leader over Al Jazeera’s  coverage of the growing unrest in Libya, the Prime Minister said, "Qatar does not interfere in media since it is free.”
The Prime Minister expressed the hope that Libya would overcome such a calamitous ordeal soon. "We are following with deep concern and anxiety what is happening there and we wish the situation would come to an end as soon as possible.”
"Qatar does not interfere in the Libyan affairs but once the situation escalated, as we have viewed in the last few days, we expressed our views frankly and publicly in our statements ...We did not consider this an interference but a sort of help, assistance for the Libyan people,” Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim said.
The Prime Minister further said, "Libya is an important country and is of concern to all Arabs ...We do not seek to isolate it, but on the contrary we seek that Libya would be part of the Arab world and it is already a key part.”
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister David Cameron called upon the governments in the region to respond to demands of reform without repression.
Addressing the press conference, the British premier said his country condemns the excessive use of force wherever it is and is seeking democratic bases to be established in a way that meets the aspirations of peoples, a matter which applies to Libya.  "The situation in Libya is very worrying and the horrible views there and the use of violence against the people can’t be accepted or tolerated”, Cameron said.
The British prime minister further made clear that the UK has guaranteed that the UN Security Council (UNSC) would issue a strong statement. "And this is what should be since the UN is the location in which clear-cut stands should be adopted”, Cameron told reporters and welcomed the UNSC presidential statement issued on Tuesday night concerning Libya.
He went on to say that states that commit acts of terror against their people should be held accountable. 
The British premier noted that his country is doing "everything we can” to protect its citizens and help evacuate them from Libya.
Both leaders also expressed their keenness to develop bilateral relations and enhance economic co-operation for the benefit of both countries. 
Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim  said relations with Britain are important, noting that Qatar will invest more in the United Kingdom in future. He said Qatar and Britain have signed an important agreement to increase Qatari gas exports to Britain.
The Premier and Foreign Minister underlined that  Qatar is open for investment in banks in Britain and said, "We have discussed several ideas in this respect with the British premier and our teams would continue tackling and discussing the matter together”.
The Prime Minister said Qatar is open to buying stakes in part state-owned British lenders RBS and Lloyds Banking Group.
Asked whether Qatar would invest in RBS or Lloyds specifically, he replied: "We are very open to any investment in the UK and we have discussed some.”
"We are capable of being engaged and will continue to be engaged in discussions,” he added.
UK trade minister Stephen Green, also in Doha, said Qatar has expressed interest in British financial services firms as well as infrastructure-related investments. "They (Qatar) like and respect what Britian has to offer,” Green told reporters.
The British government has a stake of around 83% in RBS and 40.6% in Lloyds, after it bailed out both banks during the credit crisis. These holdings are in turn managed by a specially-formed body called UKFI.
Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim affirmed during his joint press conference the need to have a kind of clarity and openness in tackling the Palestinian issue. 
He said in this context, "It was very unfortunate and disturbing the use of the veto right in the UN Security Council on part of the United States against the Arab draft resolution condemning the continued Israeli settlement activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.” 
The Premier added: "We are counting on Britain, which has a big role, to reach a fair outcome based on the international legitimacy in the case of Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” 
Responding to questions posed by British journalists about Qatar’s hosting of World Cup football in 2022, the Prime Minister said that the FIFA’s decision was clear in relocating soccer to different geographic regions and different cultures. "We are delighted with the decision of FIFA to host the World Cup 2022 in Qatar ... It is a wise decision since this region has a lot of problems and it’s high time to show that the region can contribute and make something that gives hope instead of presenting a constant tragic image”, the Premier said.

UK, Qatar agree to double  trade to £4.4bn over five years
The UK struck a deal with Qatar yesterday to double two-way trade to £4.4bn over the next five years, positioning Britain as a key commercial partner with the fast-growing Arab Gulf nation.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron said the agreement sends a strong signal to Qataris that the UK is "open for business.”
"Whether it is education, energy, science and technology or sport, UK firms have the expertise to help the Qataris realise their 2030 vision,” he said, referring to Qatar’s goal of becoming a more competitive and diversified economy.
"We welcome their investment, which can be a driver of growth at home in Britain,” Cameron added.
A Qatar-UK trade forum has been established and the first meeting will be held in the spring.
Meanwhile,  addressing members of the Qatari- British Business Forum, the British premier pointed to the multiplicity of available investment opportunities between the two sides in various sectors including energy, finance, infrastructure and trade. He stressed the need to increase trade exchange between the two countries.