Doha, January 8 (QNA) - HE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs Dr. Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Sayed met today with HE Minister of International Trade of Canada Maninder Sidhu and his accompanying delegation, during his current visit to the country.

The meeting dealt with discussing bilateral cooperation and the means to enhance it in the commerce and investment fields between the State of Qatar and Canada, in addition to several issues of joint interest.

Within the framework of strengthening the economic partnership between the two countries, HE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs and HE Minister of International Trade of Canada chaired the Qatar-Canada Trade and Investment Roundtable, with participation of government agencies and private sector representatives from both sides.

In his speech during the roundtable, HE Minister of State for Foreign Trade Affairs affirmed that the State of Qatar and Canada had strong and constructive relations based on mutual trust and shared values, noting that there were promising opportunities to enhance cooperation in priority sectors and expand the horizons of partnership in a way that achieves the mutual interests of both sides.

His Excellency also stressed the importance of completing negotiations to sign agreements on the promotion and protection of foreign investment, economic, trade, and technical cooperation, as well as an agreement to prevent double taxation, given their role in strengthening economic relations and stimulating investments between the two countries.

His Excellency highlighted the agreement to establish a joint committee between the State of Qatar and Canada to serve as a permanent platform for economic dialogue, in addition to establishing a joint Qatari-Canadian Business Council between the chambers of commerce in the two countries, which will contribute to enhancing communication between the business communities, identifying investment opportunities, and supporting the growth of trade and investment exchange.

Qatar Chamber also participated in the Qatar-Canada Trade and Investment Roundtable. The meeting was attended from the Chamber’s side by First Vice-Chairman Mohamed bin Twar Al Kuwari and board member Mohamed bin Ahmed Al Obaidli.

During the meeting, Al Kuwari said there are many fields for cooperation between both sides in various sectors, stressing the significance of establishing a Qatar-Canada business council to further enhance relations between business sectors in both nations.

For his part, Al Obaidli praised the strong relations between Qatar and Canada, noting the interest of Qatari businessmen in learning about the investment opportunities available in Canada and establishing commercial alliances between Qatari and Canadian companies. (QNA)