The US Chamber of Commerce would be playing a key role in the staging of high-level events between the US and Qatar slated to be held in America post Covid-19, a top chamber said on Tuesday.

US Chamber of Commerce senior vice president for Middle East and Turkey Affairs Khush Choksy made the statement in the wake of the third US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue held Monday in Washington, DC.

During the strategic dialogue, HE the Minister of Finance Ali Sherif al-Emadi announced the hosting of an investment forum as part of initiatives to strengthen investment ties between the US and Qatar.

“Since the first investment forum that Qatar held in the United States in 2011, we are pleased to announce today by signing a Letter of Intent together with the Treasury Department to host again an investment forum by joining an organised Qatar in 2021.

“This forum will be an effective venue for strengthening investment relation between our two countries,” said al-Emadi in his speech, which is published in the US Department of State website.

Speaking exclusively to Gulf Times via video conference about al-Emadi’s announcement, Choksy said: “As the home of American business with over 2,000 state and local chambers, and the home of the bilateral relationships in many ways, the US Chamber has offered and would be honoured to lead it (investment forum) in terms of organisation since it would be held either in New York or in Washington.”

Prior to the investment forum, Choksy said the US Chamber is also looking to play a key role in organising an energy event with US Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette and HE the Minister of State for Energy Affairs Saad bin Sherida al-Kaabi on the sidelines of CERAWeek, which would be held in Houston, Texas in March 2021.

“We look forward to this and it continues to be a tremendous amount of interest in the North Field procurements,” Choksy pointed out.

According to Choksy, HE the Minister of Commerce and Industry Ali bin Ahmed al-Kuwari “mentioned about doing a business mission sometime to the US, and of course given our state and local chamber, we would engage and support that, as well.”

At the latest edition of the US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue, HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo signed an agreement for the Qatar-US 2021 Year of Culture.

Choksy noted that he also sees the US Chamber of Commerce taking the lead during the Qatar-US 2021 Year of Culture, citing “the business aspects” of cultural exchanges, tourism, sports, and other related sectors.

In anticipation of the next strategic dialogue to be held in Doha in 2021, Choksy said the chamber will be leading a business mission to Qatar. He said similar business missions are also expected to be held in the US next year during the investment forum and Year of Culture celebrations.

“These major activities will anchor the business engagements next year…so that is the kind of trifecta events that we will lead,” Choksy emphasised.