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Qatar will put mediation, regional de-escalation and the protection of international law at the heart of its participation in the UN General Assembly this month, reaffirming its determination to pursue peaceful solutions despite the crises confronting the region.Adviser to the Prime Minister and official spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr Majed bin Mohammed al-Ansari said Qatar had completed preparations for high-level participation in the General Assembly’s 81st session in New York.In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), he said the country would continue its mediation efforts despite regional challenges, with an agenda focused on international peace and security, humanitarian assistance and restoring confidence in multilateral co-operation.The gathering, being held under the theme “Restoring Trust, Managing Transformation: A United Nations That Delivers for All”, comes against a critical international backdrop following regional tensions since February.Dr al-Ansari said Qatari officials would hold a series of bilateral and multilateral meetings with counterparts from around the world and representatives of international and regional organisations.The discussions will explore ways to deepen strategic partnerships, expand co-operation and open new avenues for engagement, alongside efforts to ease regional and international tensions and pave the way for stability and sustainable peace.Qatar’s priorities will include promoting dialogue and mediation, upholding international law and the UN Charter, strengthening multilateralism and supporting sustainable development.Ensuring humanitarian assistance reaches the countries and communities most in need will also feature prominently, he said.The agenda builds on Qatar’s record of facilitating negotiations across conflicts, with diplomatic efforts extending from ceasefire talks in Gaza to peace negotiations in Africa and the reunification of families separated by the Russia-Ukraine war.In Gaza, Qatar worked with Egypt and the US to mediate the ceasefire agreement that took effect in January 2025, providing for a phased exchange of hostages and prisoners. That agreement followed the temporary truce brokered in November 2023, which enabled releases and increased humanitarian access. The negotiations illustrated both the practical value of mediation and the difficulty of translating temporary arrangements into a lasting settlement. Background: November 2023 truce, January 2025 agreement.Qatar’s engagement in Africa has similarly combined efforts to bring adversaries together with follow-up negotiations aimed at implementing their commitments.In July 2025, the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s government and the AFC/M23 rebel alliance signed a declaration of principles in Doha, setting out commitments intended to advance a negotiated settlement to the conflict in eastern Congo. Further Doha talks produced arrangements for monitoring a ceasefire. In February 2026, Qatar announced plans for a UN monitoring team to deploy to Uvira, following negotiations on implementing the monitoring mechanism and renewed commitments to a broader peace framework. Continued fighting underscored the challenges facing that process. Alongside these political negotiations, Qatar has pursued humanitarian mediation between Russia and Ukraine, helping children separated by the conflict return to their families.Addressing an international meeting in May 2026, Qatar reported that its efforts had reunited 87 Ukrainian children with their families through more than 14 humanitarian operations conducted in co-ordination with the International Committee of the Red Cross. Doha has also facilitated the return of Russian children to their relatives. Background: Ukrainian children, family reunifications.These initiatives demonstrate how sustained contact between opposing sides can secure humanitarian gains even when a wider political settlement remains elusive.The same emphasis on dialogue was evident at this week’s meeting of the Qatar-Singapore High-Level Joint Committee’s Implementation Monitoring Mechanism in Doha.Both countries expressed serious concern over renewed hostilities involving the US and Iran and stressed the importance of diplomacy in achieving a peaceful and lasting resolution. They also commended Qatar’s sustained efforts to facilitate dialogue and regional de-escalation.Their call for safe, unimpeded and continuous transit through the Strait of Hormuz highlighted the wider stakes of the diplomatic effort, linking regional stability to the security of international shipping and trade.In New York, Qatar’s planned meetings will bring those concerns into a broader international discussion, alongside its stated commitment to keep mediation active, strengthen the international system and ensure humanitarian needs remain central to the response to conflict. 

Qatar and Turkiye continue to deepen their strategic partnership through close co-operation in diplomacy, defence, humanitarian assistance and regional mediation, Turkish ambassador to Qatar Dr Mustafa Goksu has said, highlighting the two countries’ enduring solidarity during times of crisis. Speaking at the Turkish embassy in Doha during a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the July 15, 2016 failed coup attempt in Turkiye, the envoy paid particular tribute to Qatar’s steadfast support during and after the attempted coup, describing it as a defining moment in the longstanding brotherhood between the two nations. Dr Goksu recalled that His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani was the first foreign leader to telephone Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the night of the coup attempt. He also noted that His Excellency the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani was among the first senior foreign officials to visit Turkiye following the crisis. The envoy added that Qatar subsequently worked closely with Turkiye in combating the Fethullahist Terrorist Organisation (FETO), a stance that Ankara regards as a significant demonstration of solidarity and mutual trust.According to Dr Goksu, the relationship has continued to strengthen through successive regional and global challenges. He cited the two countries’ mutual support during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and Qatar’s assistance following the devastating earthquakes that struck southern Turkiye in February 2023. He said bilateral defence co-operation has also expanded significantly.Joint activities under the Qatar-Turkiye Joint Combined Command Forces, including air and naval operations, have enhanced Qatar’s defence capabilities, while co-operation on Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets reflects the growing depth of military ties. The envoy attributed much of the partnership’s institutional strength to the Qatar-Turkiye Supreme Strategic Committee, established in 2014, which meets annually and has facilitated the signing of 125 bilateral agreements. He also highlighted a recent agreement to jointly develop and launch a satellite, saying it demonstrates how co-operation is expanding into advanced technology and the space sector. Dr Goksu also lauded Qatar’s growing role as a regional mediator, describing it as one of the pillars of the bilateral relationship.He said the two countries have worked closely with regional and international partners to reduce tensions, secure ceasefires and promote regional stability. He pointed to their co-ordination during the recent conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran, saying Qatar and Turkiye played an important role in efforts that contributed to a ceasefire. He also commended Qatar’s long-standing mediation experience and principled diplomacy in creating conditions conducive to dialogue. The envoy said the two countries continue to adopt complementary approaches to major regional issues, including Gaza, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, Afghanistan, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Yemen. On Gaza, he praised Qatar’s mediation efforts under the leadership of His Highness the Amir, as well as its sustained humanitarian and financial support for the Palestinian people and efforts to achieve a permanent ceasefire. Dr Goksu also underlined the Development Road project involving Turkiye, Qatar, Iraq and the UAE, describing it as an important initiative to strengthen regional transport connectivity and economic integration. He noted that forums, such as the Doha Forum and the Antalya Diplomacy Forum, continue to provide valuable platforms for dialogue and policy co-ordination on regional and international issues. Concluding his remarks, the envoy said Turkiye remains committed to advancing its development while working with partners such as Qatar to promote peace, stability and prosperity across the region.

Both Qatar and Japan can take advantage of each other to provide assistance for Gaza and Syria in many areas such as education, reconstruction and humanitarian assistance, noted the Japanese ambassador, Naoto Hisajima. Hisajima was interacting with Waleed Ziad, associate professor of History at Georgetown University in Qatar ( GU-Q) , after he addressed a gathering at the university as part of GU-Q’s “Ambassador Speaker Series.” “Japan has been continuing its humanitarian assistance for a long time in Palestine and Syria. The reconstruction of the infrastructure will take years in Gaza and Syria. And there are many areas that Japan is good at, particularly, like education and building schools, or health sector and hospitals,” said the ambassador. “So, there are many opportunities, actually, for Japan to contribute to the reconstruction and humanitarian relief in both Gaza and Syria. And Qatar is obviously a neighbouring state and very active in this region. We know the parties in question very well. So, there are many chances for two countries taking advantage of the strength of each country and supporting Palestine and Syria,” said the ambassador. During his talk, ambassador Hisajima highlighted the long-standing relationship between Qatar and Japan and prominent areas of collaboration between the countries. “Japan was the first country to import Qatar's LNG in 1997. And not just Japan importing Qatar's LNG, Japan also co-operated with Qatar to develop Qatar's natural gas resources so that it could be exported to foreign countries,” he highlighted. “And since then, Qatar has been a longtime stable and reliable supplier and partner for Japan. Other than the relationship regarding natural gas, Japan's co-operation with Qatar in economic areas is particularly seen in the building of various infrastructure. There are some examples as Japan has collaborated with Doha Metro, Hamad International Airport, water desalination projects and both power plants,” he said. The Japanese envoy also highlighted that the number of visitors from Japan and Qatar is on the rise as there is a steady increase in the number in recent years with Qatar Airways operating daily flights between Japan and Qatar. “It is such a convenience that we have direct flights between Japan and Qatar. I myself have had the privilege of being on the plane direct from Tokyo to Doha. And there are daily four flights between either Tokyo, Osaka, and Doha,” added the ambassador. **media[383100]** The lecture was followed by a ‘Japanese Cultural Evening' event, where Japanese food, martial arts, drum performances and several other cultural performances took place.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed on Thursday the agreement on the first phase of the peace plan presented by US President Donald Trump.Modi expressed hope that the release of the hostages and increased humanitarian assistance to the people of Gaza would bring much-needed relief, paving the way for lasting peace in the region.US President Donald Trump announced earlier today that Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) had signed the first phase of the peace plan. He expressed his thanks to the mediators from the State of Qatar, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the Republic of Turkiye.