*Amir's US visit begins Monday
*Amir-Trump meeting Tuesday 
* Several agreements to be signed

The strategic partnership between Qatar and the US has reached unprecedented heights at all levels, a senior American diplomat has said, adding that Qatar has been a great friend and ally to the US in many ways.
In remarks to Qatar News Agency (QNA), US embassy Chief of Mission in Qatar and Charge d'Affaires William Grant said the repeated visits of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to the US are a reflection of the strong and rapidly growing bilateral relationship.
His Highness the Amir is scheduled to begin an official visit to the US Monday. The Amir will meet President Donald Trump Tuesday.
Grant said that during the visit, the Amir will meet with President Trump and senior most leaders in the US government to discuss bilateral relations and the threats facing the region, especially that the two sides enjoy a long-standing and multi-faceted military relationship based on shared goals: combat terrorism, promote regional security and stability, and combat criminal threats in the Gulf.
In this respect Grant praised Qatar-US co-operation in combating transnational threats including human trafficking, money laundering and combating terrorism-financing, stressing that Qatar-US relationship is more than just a military or law enforcement partnership. "The US and Qatar enjoy a well-balanced and diverse relationship," he said.
Trade relations will be at the forefront of the talks during His Highness the Amir's visit to US, Grant said pointing out that new agreements will be also signed. He praised the recently announced partnership between Qatar Petroleum and US firm Chevron Phillips Chemical to develop the region's largest ethane cracker in Ras Laffan. "We look forward to seeing this facility come online in 2025." 
Grant said: "We recognise the ever-growing people-to-people ties between Qatar and the US. Thousands of students from Qatar choose to pursue their higher education at more than 3,000 colleges and universities in the US which are consistently ranked as the top-performing schools in the world."
He pointed to the growing number of Qatari tourists who enjoy their vacations in the diverse landscapes of the US, stressing that students, educators, health practitioners, adventure seekers, and families define the spirit of the Qatari-US friendship.
Reiterating the statement made by the US secretary of state when he visited Qatar last January, Grant said "the Gulf crisis has lasted for a long time," stressing that resolving the dispute is in the interest of all parties in the region, as well as in the interest of the United States. "Now more than ever, it is imperative that the GCC is united against regional threats. We have important work to do together," Grant said.
He lauded Qatar's generous role in providing assistance to needy families in Gaza and the West Bank, noting that US shares Qatar's concern about the need for tangible steps to improve the economic conditions for Palestinians.