Strategic dialogue opens new chapter in Qatar-US ties

Washington DC will host tomorrow the Qatari-US strategic dialogue during which a number of agreements and memorandums of understanding will be signed between Doha and Washington in various fields, notably energy and information security.A high-level Qatari delegation will participate in the dialogue including the Foreign Ministry headed by HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, the Ministry of Defence headed by HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defence Affairs and the Ministry of Energy and Industry headed by HE the Minister of Energy and Industry and the Ministry of Finance headed by HE the Minister of Finance.The delegation will be accompanied by representatives of various ministries and entities in the State: Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Municipality and Environment, Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Civil Aviation Authority, Qatar Airways, Qatar Central Bank, Qatar Investment Authority, and Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development.From the United States, it will be attended by the US Department of State headed by Secretary of State, Department of Defence headed by Secretary of Defence, Department of the Treasury headed by Secretary of the Treasury and Department of Commerce headed by the Secretary of Commerce along with other representatives.The dialogue will witness the signing of a number of agreements, memorandums of understanding and letters of intent, including an energy memorandum of understanding, a memorandum of understanding between Qatar Ports Management Company and the US side, and a letter of intent between the US Department of Energy and the Ministry of Transport and Communications in cyber security for the vital energy infrastructure.All the signed agreements will be announced after the completion of the dialogue on January 30.US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert stressed at a press conference last Thursday that Doha was a strategic partner for Washington, pointing out that the dialogue aims to strengthen co-operation between Qatar and the US in many fields, stressing the strength of relations between the two countries.Nauert also added that Washington is looking forward to discuss co-operation between the two countries in fields like trade, investment, defence, security, law, counter-terrorism and aviation regulation.The Qatari-US relations began in 1972 with the opening of the US diplomatic mission in Doha, however, the actual start of the relations between the two countries was in the early 1990s and have been growing since then.The security co-operation between the two countries has a special status due to the prominent roles played by Doha and its successful diplomacy in mediation, conflict resolution, attempts to conciliate and help formulate the political exits of crises.In a visit to Washington in February 2015, His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani sent a clear message that Qatar was ready to play a pivotal and long-term role in ensuring peace and stability in the Middle East.His Highness’s visit represented the latest and most important chapter in Qatar-US relations.This was followed by the Emir’s participation in the meetings of the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) at Camp David in 2015.When the Emir visited Washington on September 19, 2017, he met with US President Donald Trump where they discussed regional and international issues, including the Gulf crisis and the efforts exerted to resolve it through dialogue and diplomacy.During this meeting, His Highness the Emir affirmed that Qatar is the first country to sign the anti-terrorism agreement with the US, and that there are many agreements between the two countries in the field of trade as well as in military and security co-operation. In the military field, there have been steps that prove the strength of Qatari-US relations.During the past year, very important agreements between the two countries were signed in the security and military fields.In June 2017, a military agreement was signed to purchase F-15 fighter jets at an initial cost amounting to $12bn.This agreement will create 60,000 jobs in 24 US states, and it reaffirms Qatar’s long-term commitment to working with friends and allies in the United States to strengthen military ties, to enhance strategic co-operation in the fight against extreme violence, and to promote security and stability in the Arab region and the world.Among other most important agreements between the two countries were a memorandum of understanding on combating terrorism financing. Qatar was the first country to sign an agreement with the US on combating the financing of terrorism, which comes within the framework of bilateral co-operation between the State of Qatar and the United States of America, as a result of the joint work between the two sides, the exchange of experiences and information, and the development of this mechanism as well as the development of institutions between countries.On the economic side, Qatar and the US have been enjoying close economic relations since the early 1990s, due to economic policies. In 2010, the US Chamber of Commerce established the first foreign trade chamber in Qatar, where trade between Qatar and the United States reached about $6bn 2016. The US is the sixth largest trading partner of Qatar: major US exports to Qatar are aircraft, vehicles, electrical machinery and medical equipment, while US imports from Qatar are fuels and fertilisers.Qatar’s investments are diversified and included technology, media, entertainment, energy, real estate and others.Qatar Investment Authority aims to increase investment in the United States by investing $35bn in the US market over the next five years, creating thousands of US jobs.On the humanitarian relief aspect, when New Orleans hit by the devastating Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Qatar provided one of the largest reconstruction assistance packages for the city, and distributed a donation of $100mn among educational, health, humanitarian and religious institutions.The Qatar Embassy in Washington supports American arts programmes and educational programmes, participates in local community activities. The embassy often donates to support local issues, including local public school programmes, art museums, and many humanitarian organisations. In education and culture, Qatar and US have established a link between them as six US universities have established branches in Education City in Doha, including Virginia Commonwealth University, Weill Cornell Medicine, Texas A&M University, Carnegie Mellon University, Georgetown University, Northwestern University.There are also student exchange programmes between the US and Qatar, and dozens of Qatari students, including scholarship students are studying in the US.Arabic language curriculum has developed for US students, whether in universities like Georgetown or in programmes such as those supervised by Qatar Foundation International, a US-based member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, dedicated to connecting cultures and advancing global citizenship through Arabic language and the Arab cultural exchange.