5th Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue kicks off in Doha

Doha, The Gulf Observer: The fifth annual Strategic Dialogue between the State of Qatar and the United States of America will kick off today in Doha and will be chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and US Secretary of State H E Antony Blinken.

The dialogue is expected to address 12 major issues within the framework of the bilateral cooperation in politics, economy, culture, education, energy, health, mediation and combating terrorism, namely, regional stability, defence cooperation, public health, counterterrorism, combating human trafficking, human rights, climate change, energy efficiency and independence, humanitarian assistance, strategic investments, economic cooperation, and cultural and educational exchanges.

The 5th Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue session is expected announce a number of partnerships, in addition to signing a number of memorandums of understanding (MoUs) and letters of intent.

The strategic dialogue aims to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries in various fields and to develop exceptional bilateral relations that depend on common interests and mutual respect.

Adviser to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Majed bin Mohammed Al Ansari stressed that strategic dialogues are a milestone in the relations between both countries and reflect the well-established and advanced level partnership in all fields.

He also noted that the celebration by the two partners of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, the classification of Qatar as a major non-NATO ally of the United States, and the continuous close cooperation between the two countries in bilateral, regional and international fields all serve as evidence of a shared commitment to enhance those relations.

In a statement to QNA, Dr. Al Ansari mentioned that these dialogues also demonstrate the concept of joint coordination on regional and global issues.

The dialogues enhance bilateral cooperation in the fields of health, humanitarian assistance, international development, human rights, regional cooperation and climate change as well as trade, investment, culture and education.

Dr. Al Ansari also noted the coinciding of the strategic dialogue with the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, praising the close cooperation between the State of Qatar and the United States to ensure a safe and successful tournament.

Al Ansari also said that Qatar operates in an environment of international, bilateral, and multilateral alliances, and considers the United States its strongest ally and its most important partner in many fields.

The Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue first kicked off in January, 2018, and its fourth annual edition was in November 2021 in Washington.

Qatar and the US have a strong economic partnership. The volume of trade exchange between the two countries in 2021 amounted to about QR18.4bn, while the volume of trade between the two countries at the end of the Q3 of 2022 amounted to about QR16.7bn.

The dialogue is expected to be fruitful, covering a wide range of economic, security and military, investments, education, culture, human rights, and public health issues.