HE the Minister of Commerce and Industry Ali bin Ahmed al-Kuwari, who is also Acting Minister of Finance, met with Pascal Brindeau, president of the France-Qatar Friendship Group in the French National Assembly. The meeting, held at al-Kuwari’s office, was attended by the ambassador of the State of Qatar to the French Republic, Sheikh Ali bin Jassim al-Thani. Discussions touched on bilateral relations between the two nations, and joint co-operation in the trade, investment, and industrial fields, as well as means to bolster and develop this co-operation. Talks also focused on bilateral trade policies and efforts exerted by both sides to confront the Covid-19 pandemic. The volume of trade exchange between Qatar and France amounted to nearly $1.36bn in 2020, and France ranks as Qatar’s 14th trade partner.