The Qatari-French Economic League ‘Cadran’ represents an important milestone in economic relations between France and Qatar and a new building block in bilateral ties, said HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani.
He was addressing the inaugural meeting of the Qatari-French Economic League in Paris yesterday. 
The meeting brought together business leaders and representatives of government agencies from both the countries.
The minister praised France and French officials for their sincere desire to promote French-Qatari partnerships and their efforts to translate common objectives into actions.
Sheikh Ahmed said Qatari-French historic ties have contributed to the promotion of friendly bilateral relations as leaders from both the countries stepped up efforts to further strengthen strategic ties.
The minister recalled the historic visit of HH the Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, to France in June 2014, which represented an important step in the promotion of bilateral relations.
Sheikh Ahmed highlighted that bilateral trade between Qatar and France played an important role in promoting economic relations between the two countries. The total volume of bilateral trade reached QR7.5bn in 2015 compared with QR4.7bn in 2010.
The minister said France was one of Qatar’s most important strategic investment partners, and noted that some 294 companies currently operated in Qatar, including 66 fully owned French firms and 228 French-Qatari joint companies.
Sheikh Ahmed added that France represented an “attractive destination” for Qatari investments in various commercial and economic sectors, stressing the country’s keenness to invest some of its resources in the economies of its strategic partners where promising investment opportunities exist.
The minister outlined Qatar’s economic diversification strategy, which he said, has contributed significantly to the development of vital economic sectors particularly the private sector. The minister highlighted that Qatar has issued the appropriate laws and regulations to facilitate business procedures and provide an attractive investment environment for various economic projects.
Thanks to these efforts, he said Qatar managed to maintain a “solid pace of economic growth and ranked in advanced positions” on several global indicators, the minister said.
The minister stressed that these indicators bolstered confidence in Qatar, which is considered a safe haven for foreign investments owing to its legislative and regulatory infrastructure that allows the country to build solid economic relations with friendly countries and partners.
The minister said the current fluctuation in oil prices and the economic slowdown in some countries coupled with the increasing vulnerability of some emerging economies require all parties to join efforts to weather these global challenges and strengthen their economies.
The meeting kicked off with a speech by Omer Acar, Cadran president, and was followed by a speech by Emmanuel Macron, France’s Minister of Economy, Industry and Digital Affairs.
Macron hailed the launch of the French-Qatar National League (Cadran) and highlighted the strong ties between both the countries.
HE Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani, chairman of Qatari Businessmen Association, also praised the historic ties between the private sector in both the countries. Sheikh Faisal bin Qassim al-Thani welcomed the establishment of the league, which could play a role in supporting the private sector and businessmen in both countries.
Founded in 2015, Cadran  is an independent non-profit organisation that includes major Qatari businesses operating in France and large French companies operating in Qatar.