Doha, October 22 (QNA) - On the sidelines of the state visit of HE President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macon to the State of Qatar, HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, and HE Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of the French Republic, Jean-Noel Barrot, co-chaired the fourth annual Qatar-France Strategic Dialogue in Doha, Qatar on 21 October 2026, reaffirming the deep and historic ties between the two countries.

Both Ministers reviewed areas of collaboration between the two countries since the third Strategic Dialogue held in June 2025. They reaffirmed their commitment to deepening bilateral relations and expanding their strategic partnership across shared priorities. They welcomed the progress achieved through sustained high-level engagement including on regional security, defense and military cooperation, security and counterterrorism cooperation, trade and investment, innovation, education and higher education, culture and the arts, and humanitarian assistance and development.

Political and Diplomatic Cooperation: Qatar and France reaffirmed their strategic partnership and commitment to addressing shared regional and global challenges. Both sides exchanged views on the latest regional and global developments, including on Gulf Security, the ongoing Iran conflict, the means to restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, peace efforts in the Middle East and in Africa, and developments in Syria and Lebanon.

Prime Minister Al-Thani and Minister Barrot condemned the attacks carried out by the Houthi against civilian facilities and energy infrastructure in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, as well as its attacks that threaten maritime security in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. They emphasized the need to halt these attacks and ensure the security of international waterways and freedom of navigation therein.

Both sides stressed the importance of diplomacy, dialogue, and coordinated international efforts to advance de-escalation and preserve regional stability. Minister Barrot commended Qatar’s leading role in international mediation and its continued efforts to foster dialogue, de-escalate tensions, and advance diplomatic solutions in the Gulf, the Middle East, Africa and beyond.

Economy, Trade, and Investments: Qatar and France reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening economic, trade, and investment ties, with bilateral trade exceeding 1.52 billion euro in 2025.

The Ministers highlighted the importance of Qatari investments in France spanning across a range of sectors including consumer and luxury goods, telecommunications, real estate, industry, healthcare, and financial services contributing to economic growth, job creation, and innovation, and expressed interest in exploring new opportunities, particularly in quantum technologies and artificial intelligence.

Both sides agreed to enhance cooperation through seminars and workshops on public-private partnerships, central bank reserve management, and monetary policy, and welcomed in that regard, the signing of a Letter of Intent on cooperation in the field of communications and information technology.

Both Ministers stressed on the need of deepening collaboration in intellectual property, food security, digital technologies, and the circular economy.

Both sides also explored ways to further develop their trade and investment partnership, through a Roadmap focused on strategic areas in alignment with the framework of the economic diversification goals stated by Qatar’s National Vision 2030 and in accordance with the economic plan “France 2030”.

Both Ministers exchanged views on the economic implications of regional conflicts and highlighted opportunities for French companies to support Qatar’s infrastructure priorities and strategic development projects.

Defense, Security, and Counterterrorism: Qatar and France emphasized the importance of their strong and long-standing defense and security partnership, welcoming increased high-level exchanges and close coordination on regional security challenges.

France reiterated its commitment to Qatar’s security and stability. Minister Barrot reiterated France’s commitment, as a trusted strategic and defense partner, to supporting Qatar’s security and stability.

The two sides welcomed the close coordination between their authorities during the crisis and reaffirmed their determination to further strengthen defense cooperation, joint training, operational coordination, and information sharing in support of regional security and stability.

The Ministers also welcomed the agreement signed during the 27th High Military Committee, the implementation of the Letter of Intent on strengthening military cooperation and coordination between the two countries signed on 11 January 2026, and Qatar’s participation in Exercise ORION 2026 in France, underscoring their commitment to enhanced military interoperability and readiness.

Both sides highlighted their extensive security cooperation, particularly in major event security, crisis management, aviation security, cybersecurity, and capacity-building.

Both sides agreed to work towards a new ministerial action plan for 2027–2030 to further strengthen cooperation across these areas. They also welcomed the strengthening of their partnership in the field of civil protection, including in disaster response, wildfire management, document fraud prevention, maritime security, and professional training.

Both sides also highlighted their joint efforts in support for the Syrian Civil Defense.

Qatar and France reaffirmed their commitment to combating terrorism, violent extremism, and illicit financial flows and stressed the need to enhance international cooperation to fight terrorism and its financing.

Humanitarian and Development Cooperation: Qatar and France reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening humanitarian and development cooperation through joint initiatives supporting crisis-affected populations, particularly in Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, and Africa.

Both sides welcomed ongoing cooperation between the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD), the French Development Agency Group (AFD Group), and the French Crisis and Support Centre (CDCS).

Education, Health and Sports: Qatar and France reaffirmed their commitment to expanding cooperation in education, healthcare, and sports, emphasizing academic exchanges, student mobility, and joint programs.

In education, both sides welcomed progress in French language teaching, DELF certification, teacher training, and university partnerships.

They reaffirmed their commitment to signing the Eighth Executive Program for Cooperation in Education and strengthening collaboration in scientific research and innovation.

In healthcare, both countries agreed to enhance medical education and professional training, including facilitating opportunities for Qatari physicians and healthcare professionals to undertake specialized training and residency programs in France.

In sports and youth, both sides emphasized strengthening people-to-people ties through youth exchanges, community sports, anti-doping cooperation, and the exchange of expertise in sports policies, logistics, and major sporting events.

Culture, Art and Heritage Cooperation: Qatar and France reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cultural cooperation, including through the anticipated renewal of the 2014 bilateral cultural agreement and the implementation of seven partnership agreements signed in 2025, covering exhibitions, artistic exchanges, training, research, and creative initiatives.

Both sides emphasized their shared commitment to protecting and restoring cultural heritage, particularly in conflict-affected areas of Syria and Lebanon, in cooperation with UNESCO, ALIPH, and other partners.

They also expressed interest in expanding cooperation in cinematographic heritage. Qatar welcomed France’s participation in its Annual Book Fair, highlighting the importance of cultural exchange and the promotion of French language and culture.

Qatar and France look forward to reviewing progress in these areas at the fifth Strategic Dialogue to be held in Paris in 2027. (QNA)