HE the Minister of Commerce and Industry Ali bin Ahmed al-Kuwari has underlined the strong ties between Qatar and Germany.
He stressed that the relations between the two countries deepened following the visit of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to Germany in September last year, which culminated in the announcement by His Highness that Qatar plans to invest 10bn euros to support the German economy over the next five years.
HE the Minister said during the opening of the sixth session of the Qatari-German Joint Committee for Economic, Commercial and Technical Co-operation in Berlin that a number of important agreements were signed during the visit, including the establishment of the Qatari-German Businessmen Council as joint efforts to develop strategic co-operation between the two countries.
HE the Minister also praised the successful participation of Qatar in the Hanover International Industrial Exhibition, which was an important step in the historic partnership between Qatar and Germany.
He said the countries are associated through an important level of political and economic co-operation, reflecting positively on the volume of trade between them - 1.9bn euros in 2018, representing 1.8% of the total volume of foreign trade of the state.
He said German companies operating in Qatar, exceeding 300, play an important role in supporting the comprehensive development process. "It works in a number of vital sectors such as the industrial sector, services, communication, roads, infrastructure and other sectors and other economic activities," he noted.
The minister said Germany is one of the most important investment destinations for Qatar, where the value of Qatari investments in Germany exceeded 25bn euros in 2018. He pointed out that the Qatar Investment Authority has supported a number of vital sectors in the German economy, including the automotive industry, telecommunications, hospitality, banking and other important sectors.
He added that German companies looking to invest in Qatar can benefit from the opportunities provided by the State to implement some of the largest development projects in the region, which are part of achieving the goals of Qatar National Vision and hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The minister reiterated the importance of concerted efforts between the two countries to increase the number of direct flights and expressed hope that the sixth session of the Qatari-German Joint Committee for Economic, Commercial and Technical Co-operation would lead to fruitful results in the interest of the two friendly countries.
On his part, undersecretary at the German Ministry of Economy Affairs and Energy Thomas Parais said the joint Qatari-German committee constitutes an important platform for bringing together government representatives and the private sector of the two countries, stressing the importance of exerting more efforts to support and strengthen bilateral relations.
He expressed the hope regarding German support for diversification of the Qatari economy by providing excellent goods and services, while calling upon the private sector in Qatar to invest in the German economy as it is one of the strongest economies of the European Union.
During the meeting, the two sides hailed the remarkable development and momentum witnessed by relations between the two countries following the visit of His Highness the Amir to Berlin last September.
The committee discussed a number of issues related to enhancing co-operation between the two countries in various fields, including energy, industry, agriculture, transportation, health, education, sports, technology and culture.
The two sides agreed to expand and strengthen bilateral relations through long-term partnerships, as well as welcome any initiatives taken by the private sector of both countries to establish mechanisms to deepen bilateral economic relations. They stressed the importance of bilateral investment and its role in economic development.
The two sides also stressed the importance of taking the necessary steps to advance the approach of enhancing trade and investment co-operation between the two countries in order to increase the volume of trade exchange between them and facilitate the flow of goods, services and investments.
The two sides agreed to hold the seventh session of the joint committee in Doha.
They welcomed the establishment of channels of communication aimed at developing the education sector in both countries, including technological education and vocational and technical education. It also encouraged participation in exhibitions and conferences dealing with higher education, scientific research and technology.
Sheikh Nawaf bin Nasser al-Thani, chairman of the Qatari-German Joint Trade and Investment Task Force, expressed hope that efforts would be co-ordinated to establish action plans that would help address the challenges facing businessmen in both countries' markets.
At the close of the sixth session, HE al-Kuwari and Parais signed the minutes of the meeting.
On the other hand, a working session was held between the Qatari and German sides under the title 'From Berlin to Doha', which included two panel discussions.
On the sidelines of the session, HE the Minister of Commerce and Industry met with the Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany Peter Altmaier .
During the meeting, they reviewed bilateral relations between the two countries and discussed aspects of co-operation, especially in the fields of trade, investment and industry, and means of enhancing and developing them.
The recommendations and results of the German Business and Investment Forum held last September were discussed along with latest developments related to the signing of the Convention on the Prevention of Double Taxation and Financial Evasion. The two sides also stressed the importance of concerted efforts to increase the number of flights between the two countries.
HE the Minister said during the opening of the sixth session of the Qatari-German Joint Committee for Economic, Commercial and Technical Co-operation in Berlin that a number of important agreements were signed during the visit, including the establishment of the Qatari-German Businessmen Council as joint efforts to develop strategic co-operation between the two countries.
HE the Minister also praised the successful participation of Qatar in the Hanover International Industrial Exhibition, which was an important step in the historic partnership between Qatar and Germany.
Qatari and German dignitaries at the event
He said the countries are associated through an important level of political and economic co-operation, reflecting positively on the volume of trade between them - 1.9bn euros in 2018, representing 1.8% of the total volume of foreign trade of the state.
He said German companies operating in Qatar, exceeding 300, play an important role in supporting the comprehensive development process. "It works in a number of vital sectors such as the industrial sector, services, communication, roads, infrastructure and other sectors and other economic activities," he noted.
The minister said Germany is one of the most important investment destinations for Qatar, where the value of Qatari investments in Germany exceeded 25bn euros in 2018. He pointed out that the Qatar Investment Authority has supported a number of vital sectors in the German economy, including the automotive industry, telecommunications, hospitality, banking and other important sectors.
He added that German companies looking to invest in Qatar can benefit from the opportunities provided by the State to implement some of the largest development projects in the region, which are part of achieving the goals of Qatar National Vision and hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The minister reiterated the importance of concerted efforts between the two countries to increase the number of direct flights and expressed hope that the sixth session of the Qatari-German Joint Committee for Economic, Commercial and Technical Co-operation would lead to fruitful results in the interest of the two friendly countries.
On his part, undersecretary at the German Ministry of Economy Affairs and Energy Thomas Parais said the joint Qatari-German committee constitutes an important platform for bringing together government representatives and the private sector of the two countries, stressing the importance of exerting more efforts to support and strengthen bilateral relations.
He expressed the hope regarding German support for diversification of the Qatari economy by providing excellent goods and services, while calling upon the private sector in Qatar to invest in the German economy as it is one of the strongest economies of the European Union.
During the meeting, the two sides hailed the remarkable development and momentum witnessed by relations between the two countries following the visit of His Highness the Amir to Berlin last September.
The committee discussed a number of issues related to enhancing co-operation between the two countries in various fields, including energy, industry, agriculture, transportation, health, education, sports, technology and culture.
The two sides agreed to expand and strengthen bilateral relations through long-term partnerships, as well as welcome any initiatives taken by the private sector of both countries to establish mechanisms to deepen bilateral economic relations. They stressed the importance of bilateral investment and its role in economic development.
The two sides also stressed the importance of taking the necessary steps to advance the approach of enhancing trade and investment co-operation between the two countries in order to increase the volume of trade exchange between them and facilitate the flow of goods, services and investments.
The two sides agreed to hold the seventh session of the joint committee in Doha.
They welcomed the establishment of channels of communication aimed at developing the education sector in both countries, including technological education and vocational and technical education. It also encouraged participation in exhibitions and conferences dealing with higher education, scientific research and technology.
Sheikh Nawaf bin Nasser al-Thani, chairman of the Qatari-German Joint Trade and Investment Task Force, expressed hope that efforts would be co-ordinated to establish action plans that would help address the challenges facing businessmen in both countries' markets.
At the close of the sixth session, HE al-Kuwari and Parais signed the minutes of the meeting.
On the other hand, a working session was held between the Qatari and German sides under the title 'From Berlin to Doha', which included two panel discussions.
On the sidelines of the session, HE the Minister of Commerce and Industry met with the Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany Peter Altmaier .
During the meeting, they reviewed bilateral relations between the two countries and discussed aspects of co-operation, especially in the fields of trade, investment and industry, and means of enhancing and developing them.
The recommendations and results of the German Business and Investment Forum held last September were discussed along with latest developments related to the signing of the Convention on the Prevention of Double Taxation and Financial Evasion. The two sides also stressed the importance of concerted efforts to increase the number of flights between the two countries.