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HE Ali bin Ahmed al-Kuwari, Minister of Finance, held a meeting via videoconference with Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

As part of the efforts made by the Qatar government and humanitarian organisations to support the resilience of the people, institutions, and vital sectors of Syria, a high-level delegation from Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) arrived at Damascus International Airport Sunday. The delegation was headed by QRCS president Yousef bin Ali al-Khater, secretary-general Faisal Mohamed al-Emadi, assistant secretary-general for Relief and International Development Mohamed Bader al-Sada, and assistant secretary-general for Communication and Resource Development Mohamed Ahmed al-Beshri. They were received by Syria's Minister of Health Dr Musaab Nazzal al-Ali, Qatar embassy in Syria charge d'affaires Khalifa Abdullah al-Mahmoud, Syrian Arab Red Crescent Society (SARCS) president Dr Mohamed Hazem Bakleh, Damascus Health Directorate director Dr Wael Dagmash, representative of Syria’s ministry of foreign affairs and staff of the QRCS’s representation office in Türkiye. The purpose of the humanitarian visit was to deliver a new batch of aid from Qatar under the “Take Heart Syria” initiative, containing medical equipment and supplies donated by Sidra Medicine, Al-Tafa’ol Trading Company, United International Trading Company, and Doha Health Care Group, in co-ordination with the QRCS, SARCS, and Syria’s ministry of health. The delegation from Qatar arrived at Damascus International Airport aboard a Qatar Amiri Air Force aircraft, carrying 12 tonnes of critical and sophisticated medical equipment to help Syrian hospitals continue providing quality healthcare services for patients. This airlift was preceded by three land aid convoys. On August 28, a total of 22 aid trucks started to depart from the warehouses of Sidra Medicine and the QRCS in Doha in three batches. The convoys travelled through Saudi Arabia and Jordan, ending in Syria, with 78 tonnes of aid. Thus, the total volume of aid delivered under the initiative totaled 90 tonnes of medical equipment and supplies, at a value of over QR45mn. In his keynote speech during the event, al-Khater, said: "These combined efforts were meant to send a message of solidarity to Syria, helping revitalise the Syrian healthcare sector and strengthening the capacity of its medical institutions to meet the needs of millions of Syrians.” “Over the past years, the QRCS implemented large-scale projects and programmes covering various sectors, including health, shelter, emergency relief, food security, water and sanitation, and livelihoods, with a total value of $160mn,” he added. “More than 13mn people across the country benefited from these interventions”. The QRCS president promised to keep working hard to ensure the delivery of more aid from Qatar to the people of Syria, as well as to intensify support to provide the Syrian health sector with the vital supplies needed for medical facilities. “In the name of the Syrian government and people, I would like to welcome this medical shipment from the State of Qatar, through the QRCS,” said Syrian Health Minister Dr al-Ali. “This humanitarian initiative is not merely equipment and supplies, but rather a message of genuine solidarity, a new lease on life for our patients, and a renewed hope for our medical professionals, who continue to do their job despite the difficulties and challenges.” Al-Mahmoud described the aid as a practical demonstration of Qatar’s unwavering commitment to supporting the Syrian people. The SARCS’s Dr Bakleh said that the generous initiative represents the deep fraternal ties between the peoples of Syria and Qatar and best embodies the spirit of humanitarian solidarity. Al-Emadi revealed that the aid shipment from Qatar contained X-ray, anaesthesia, and dialysis equipment; advanced laboratory testing equipment; vital signs monitoring machines; ventilators; incubators; radiography and laser imaging systems; plasma and biological storage freezers; cardiac and neurological monitoring devices; clinical decision support systems; stretchers; disinfection and protection tools; medical consumables; first-aid kits; and other equipment that covers a wide range of healthcare services, as an essential boost to rehabilitate medical infrastructure in Syria and enable hospitals to resume some of their suspended or limited services.

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani met Sunday with Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Qatar Prince Mansour bin Khalid bin Abdullah al-Farhan al-Saud, on the occasion of the end of his tenure in the country.During the meeting, HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs wished the Saudi ambassador success in his future assignments, and further progress and prosperity for relations between the two countries.

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani sent a cable of congratulations to the President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali on the occasion of his swearing-in for a new presidential term, wishing him success in performing his duties and the relations between the two countries further progress and prosperity. His Highness the Deputy Amir Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Thani also sent a similar cable of congratulations to the President of Guyana Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali on the occasion of his swearing-in for a new presidential term.

HE the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Ahmed bin Hassan al-Hammadi on Friday inaugurated the headquarters of the Consulate General of Qatar in Shanghai, China.The opening ceremony was attended by Deputy Secretary-General of the Shanghai Municipal Government Liu Ping; Deputy Director-General of the Department of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China Wu Demin; and Consul General of Qatar in Shanghai Rashid bin Mubarak al-Khater. The ceremony was also attended by a number of senior Chinese officials, as well as heads and members of consular missions accredited to Shanghai.

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani received on Saturday a phone call from the Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom (UK) Yvette Cooper.During the call, they discussed cooperation relations between the two countries and ways to support and strengthen them. HE Sheikh Mohammed congratulated Yvette Cooper on her appointment as Foreign Secretary, wishing her success in carrying out her duties.The call also discussed developments in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories, in addition to a number of issues of common concern.HE Sheikh Mohammed also stressed the need to intensify regional and international efforts to end the brutal war on the Gaza Strip, ensure the sustainable and unhindered flow of humanitarian aid to the Strip, and release prisoners and detainees.

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani met on Saturday with Minister of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mikayil Jabbarov, who is visiting the country.During the meeting, they discussed cooperation relations between the two countries and ways to support and strengthen them, in addition to a number of topics of common concern.

Vice-President of the Libyan Presidential Council Musa al-Koni has met with ambassador of the State of Qatar to Libya Dr Khalid Mohammed bin Zaben al-Dosari. Discussions during the meeting dealt with co-operation relations between the two countries.

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani met in Doha Friday with Kaja Kallas, the European Union's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission.The meeting reviewed co-operation between Qatar and the European Union, as well as regional and international issues of common concern, particularly the developments in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories.During the meeting, HE Sheikh Mohammed stressed the importance of unifying regional and international efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, ensure the protection of civilians, secure the release of prisoners and detainees, and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid to alleviate the catastrophic conditions in the Strip.

HE Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh al-Khulaifi met Wednesday with Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of the Republic of Austria, Beate Meinl-Reisinger. The meeting discussed co-operation relations between the two countries and ways to support and strengthen them, as well as a number of issues of mutual interest, notably the humanitarian situation in Gaza, developments in Syria and Lebanon, and the importance of supporting efforts to bring security and stability in the region. The Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of Austria praised during the meeting Qatar's role as a reliable mediator to bring different perspectives closer and encourage peaceful solutions through dialogue and diplomacy. The minister also commended the Qatari efforts made in releasing Austrian hostages around the world.

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa of the sisterly Kingdom of Bahrain discussed relations between the two brotherly countries and means to boost them in various areas of cooperation. This came during a phone call His Highness the Amir received Wednesday from Bahraini king. The discussion also touched on the key regional and international developments of joint interest.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with a consortium led by Qatar's UCC Holding, valued at over USD 4 billion, is intended to revamp Damascus International Airport based on state-of-the-art global standards, Chairman of the Syrian General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), Omar Al Hussari has said.In remarks to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Al Hussari added that the MoU includes revamping the airport, increasing its capacity, modernising the infrastructure and ground services, in addition to deploying sophisticated operation systems.The project will constitute a paradigm shift in the Syrian airports systems and bolster the capacity of the civil aviation sector to keep up with the requirements of the upcoming phase, Al Hussari highlighted.Al Hussari stressed that the memorandum is a concrete step in strengthening the Syria-Qatar relationship, standing as a model of Arab cooperation in major strategic ventures. He affirmed that the next phase would shift from signing the memorandum to outlining a clear implementation plan, thereby ensuring that this partnership is converted into tangible projects that directly benefit travelers and the national economy.In connection with the projects undertaken by GACA, technical and economic studies are underway to convert Mezzeh Air Base into a civilian airport dedicated to private aviation and business travelers. The operational capacity of this base will be gauged not in terms of passenger numbers but by the volume of private flights and the quality of specialized services, thereby positioning it as a complementary facility to Damascus International Airport, he underlined.He further underscored that there is a strategic plan to expand the SyrianAir fleet through the modernization of existing aircraft and the acquisition of new planes, while GACA has opened the door for Arab and international carriers to operate within Syrian airspace and at its airports.Damascus International Airport currently serves 15 airlines, whereas Aleppo International Airport accommodates seven carriers. The measures broadly enhance competitiveness and elevate the level of services offered to travelers. These initiatives unfold amid a period of Arab and international engagement with Syria and the restoration of a huge portion of air traffic, contributing to reinstating the country to its natural position on the regional and global aviation map, Al Hussari underlined.As for the western sanctions, he evinced that the restrictions are still partial and hamper modernization processes, as well as securing spare parts and cutting-edge technologies.However, he said GACA has been successful in overcoming these impediments through forging cooperation with regional and global partners to secure practical alternatives in relation to maintenance, equipment, and technologies, noting that these partnerships helped proceed with the operation of aircraft and airports based on international safety standards.Al Hussari welcomed the recent decision taken by the US Department of Commerce to streamline the access of technology and spare parts to Syria, including civil aviation parts.The strategy of the upcoming period is based on making the civil aviation sector an economic driver and a major conduit, reinstating the nation to its position as a regional and global connection hub. This strategy includes modernization to have capacious airports, augmenting the national fleet, advancing air cargo services, and investing in training and qualifying manpower to ensure sustained development and keep abreast of the latest international standards, Al Hussari pointed out.Al Hussari further indicated that the projects and agreements underway represent practical steps toward advancing the Syrian civil aviation sector and reintegrating the country into the regional and global air transportation system.He affirmed that the coming period ought to witness a follow-up on the execution of these projects to ensure the achievement of GACA's objectives and the constant upgradation of this critical sector.