French president’s visit aims to reaffirm bilateral relations

By Hamza Jilani/Staff ReporterFrench President François Hollande who is arriving in Qatar on June 22 on an official two-day visit will be accompanied by a high-level delegation including the ministers of Finance, Foreign Affairs, Defence, Interior, Trade and Transport, diplomatic sources in Doha yesterday said.The visit has been planned bilaterally as a response to HH the Emir’s visit to Paris last year. This is the French president’s first official state visit to the region since winning elections in May 2012.The other influential members of the delegation include CEOs and personalities like Jack Lang, former foreign minister of culture and now head of the Institute of the Arab World in Paris and Nathalie Loiseau, director of Ecole Nationale d’Administration.Upon his arrival on Saturday afternoon, the French leader is expected go to the new location of the Voltaire French School to attend the inauguration ceremony of its second campus where he will meet the French community residing in Doha.The following day, Hollande will make a morning visit to the new QP building currently being built by French construction company Bouygues, where he will attend a business forum and then visit students enrolled at French business school HEC. The French leader will meet HH the Emir at the Emiri Diwan where they will discuss Syria, Palestine, Iran, Afghanistan and Mali.“This political and official visit aims to strengthen bilateral relations. Qatar and France are historical partners ... The president wants to reaffirm and continue relations, sending a message that change in leadership doesn’t change national partnership,” they said. “The president’s  main objective is to meet Qatari leaders to discuss political issues and positioning, not sign agreements.”The president will also visit the Museum of Islamic Art.Commenting on the existing bilateral relations between the two countries, diplomats said that there are “huge projects for investment and infrastructure in Qatar”, adding that the “French know how to build beautiful trains, planes, satellites, tunnels and while we have competition over ongoing and future projects in Qatar, we have beautiful contracts in this country”.The French leader had been to the Middle East twice before – once stopping in Saudi Arabia on his way back to France from Asia, and once to the UAE to attend an international energy forum. Page 41