Washington, March 05 (QNA) - The State of Qatar and the United States are set to convene the sixth annual Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue to strengthen prospects of joint cooperation, underscoring the depth of bilateral relations and coordination level at various levels, and the joint commitment to cementing these relations and upgrading positions that reflect the outcomes of a decades-long partnership, and addressing the challenges at regional and global levels.

The 6th Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue will kick off in the US capital Washington, with the State of Qatars delegation being led by HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, while the US side will be led by the US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The dialogue intends to discuss the latest developments of the firm bilateral partnership and the most prominent global challenges, primarily the role of the Qatari mediation and international partners in reaching a durable ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

In all international forums, the State of Qatar has been affirming the importance of meeting the critical humanitarian needs for the Palestinian people as a top priority for the international community, particularly in the midst of the worsening plight and scourges posed by the Israeli occupation, siege, war and hampering the flow of aid, in a flagrant defiance of the international law and the provisional measures taken by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in this regard.

The State of Qatar underscores its firm position on the importance of the unwavering efforts and intensifying the relief efforts in the Gaza Strip and warns of the catastrophic consequences of halting the support for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

The two nations share outstanding relationships that were officially culminated in the US President Joe Biden designating the State of Qatar a major non-NATO ally of the US in early February 2022, following the discussions he held with HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the first summit meeting held by the US President with a Gulf state leader in the White House after assuming office. During that time, Biden said that naming Qatar a major ally of the US is a recognition of the US interest in deepening the defense and security cooperation with Qatar.

The 5th Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue was held in Doha on Nov. 22, 2022, months after both sides marked the 50th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations and designating the State of Qatar a major non-NATO ally of the US, confirming the close cooperation between the two sides, and strengthening the joint desire to lend impetus to the expansion of relationships to broader horizons.

The 5th session tackled 12 major issues - regional stability, defense cooperation, public health, counter-terrorism, combating trafficking in persons, human rights, climate change, energy efficiency, humanitarian aid, strategic investment, economic cooperation, cultural and educational exchanges - in addition to announcing several partnerships and memorandums of understanding.

HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, who was Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs at that time, said the talks held during the 5th Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue touched on the developments in the Iranian nuclear file, as well as issues of Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, and Palestine. At the conclusion of the Dialogue sessions, His Excellency affirmed the significance of the annual Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue for the relations between the two countries.

For his part, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken underscored the significance of partnership between Washington and Doha to solve differences and end the regional and international conflicts, pointing out that the strategic dialogue with Qatar is an indication of the robust partnership and cooperation between the two countries. He emphasized that the United States and Qatar share bilateral and regional partnership that has become more global in multiple fields.

Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs had noted convening the 5th Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue concurrently with the launch of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 and with the close cooperation between the State of Qatar and the US to ensure a secure and successful tournament, as well as the robust security partnership between the two countries, including cooperation in law enforcement, aviation, border security, combating violent extremism, countering terrorism and the fight against the financing of terrorism.

The then Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs underlined that the Qatar-US relations were established through the institutions in various periods, affirming that the State of Qatar operates within an ecosystem of global, bilateral and multilateral alliances. 

Following the 5th Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue in November 2022, and during an economic session, Qatar's Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) affirmed that the total and direct investments of Qatar in the United States reached up to $69 billion until 2022, and that the US firms operating in the State of Qatar had largely contributed to the development process in the country, with 856 American firms operating in the Qatari market, at a time the State of Qatar strives to diversify its economy to eventually reduce dependence on hydrocarbon industries and ensure transition to a knowledge-based economy, in alignment with Qatar National Vision 2030.

In remarks following the Dialogue, HE Undersecretary of MOCI Sultan bin Rashid Al Khater said the State of Qatar seeks to build its manufacturing, research, and development capacities, building clean and renewable energy and expanding the scope of its technological centers. He urged owners of the US firms to capitalize on the financial ventures and inducements, as well as the legislative and legal frameworks offered by a variety of government programs.

Senior Manager, Middle East Affairs at the American Chamber of Commerce Liz Clark said the 5th Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue highlighted the close strategic relationship between the two countries, adding that the American Chamber of Commerce commended the efforts of the US and Qatari governments for constantly holding this dialogue and using this platform to ensure a harmonized and sustainable interaction.

On March 3, 2023, the United States and the State of Qatar held the Economic and Commercial Cooperation Session of the 5th Strategic Dialogue joined by the Special Representative for Commercial and Business Affairs at the US Department of State and HE Undersecretary of MOCI Sultan bin Rashid Al Khater. The session discussed the Qatari investment in the United States and investment opportunities for the US firms in Qatar, as well as avenues to reinforce economic and commercial cooperation through leveraging information technology and communications, as well as women’s economic engagement.

The first Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue was held in Washington on Jan. 31, 2018. The dialogue represented a milestone in the history of the robust partnership between the two countries since its inception. The memorandums of understanding and agreements that were signed over the past five years lent a strong impetus to the historic partnership between them which included all fields, with the economic partnership exceeding $200 billion. During the first session of the dialogue, the two sides discussed prospects for partnership in the fields of defense, combating terrorism and extremism, trade and investment, and signed multiple memorandums of understanding and letters of intent on bilateral trade, investment, and technology.

The governments of the two nations issued a joint declaration on security cooperation, and underscored their joint commitment to strengthening peace, stability, and combating the scourges of terrorism. They expressed desire to reinforce bilateral relationships in energy sector and inked a memorandum of understanding to enhance the Qatar-US cooperation.

During the 2nd Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue in January 2019, the two countries signed three memorandums of understanding and a statement of intent within their endeavors to confirm a long-term commitment to reinforcing the current partnership. They discussed fostering defense partnership to safeguard stability in the region, in addition to counter-terrorism and law enforcement partnerships within their constant efforts aimed at preventing extremism and violence.

In the 3rd Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue in September 2020, the two countries underscored the significance of joint efforts to explore a global transparent and competitive energy market for the interest of consumers and producers. The two sides reiterated their ironclad commitment to the joint declaration on security cooperation devoted to bolstering peace, security and counter-terrorism, which was signed in the first Strategic Dialogue.

The 4th Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue in November 2021 concluded with the commitment to continuing cooperation in implementing the global programs specifically designed to support the member states and other stakeholders in the field of counter-terrorism to strengthen support for the UN counter-terrorism operations. This included reviewing the United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the UN counter-terrorism reports, bolstering coordination in the member states-led efforts to combat terrorism globally with the support of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Coordination Compact.

Defense and security relationships between United States and the State of Qatar evolved through the first Strategic Dialogue convened in January 2018. The dialogue has been convening annually since that time. 

The significance of designating the State of Qatar a major ally of the US emerges in the standing and prestige Qatar has acquired by virtue of the wisdom of its leadership and its successful and resolute roles in multiple files. Doha hosted the peace talks between the US government and Taliban movement, which culminated in the signing of the US withdrawal agreement from Afghanistan in 2020.

Qatar also played a major role in the evacuation of thousands of US and foreign nationals stranded in Afghanistan in 2021 and demonstrated its leading role in the Afghan situation.

 Thereafter, Doha has become a center of diplomatic coordination to carry out humanitarian and relief operations for Afghanistan, and a crossing point for thousands of people who were airlifted from Afghanistan for many months. Nearly 40% of those who were stranded in Kabul Airport had been airlifted through Qatar, underscoring the State of Qatar’s posture as a strategic ally of the US in the Middle East.

Throughout the war crisis in Ukraine, the State of Qatar dominated a critical space in discussions on the potential consequences of cutting off the Russian gas, with officials in the US Administration discussing with counterparts in Qatar the possibility of supplying Europe with natural gas, since the State of Qatar is one of the largest Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) producing countries and spends nearly $30 billion to elevate its production capacity to address any potential shortage in the constant global gas demand.

On Dec. 23, 2023, the United States thanked the State of Qatar for its successful mediation with Venezuela which saw the release of 10 US national from Venezuela prisons. Washington said it was grateful to the State of Qatar’s efforts which expedited the talks between the Venezuelan authorities and the US officials, paving the way for the return of the US nationals who were detained there.

In addition, trade, economic and investment relations constitute a beacon of the strategic ties between the two countries, and have earned an incredible momentum for two decades by the signing of the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) in 2004 with the volume of trade exchange reaching more than $9.46 in 2022 only, making Qatar the ninth trade partner of the US.

The Qatar-US relations saw major milestones in history. The official relations between the two countries were established in 1972 with the emerging importance of the Gulf region, including the State of Qatar, after the discovery of the massive oil reserves in in the early 20th century. The relations between the two countries have expanded in 1970s and 1980s.

In 1992, the two nations forged a defense cooperation, but the relationship became far more significant when Al Udeid Air Base was established in Qatar.

In 1997, HH the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani paid the first official visit to the United States. The visit constituted the launch pad into outstanding relationships, and was followed by other official visits on multiple levels, elevating the relations to broader horizons.

The United Sates is the largest foreign investor in oil and gas sector in Qatar. This was conspicuously demonstrated in establishing the US-Qatar Business Council which aims to facilitate the trade and investment exchange between the two countries. The US exports to Qatar include aircraft, cars, electrical equipment and devices, optical and medical devices, as well as pharmaceutical products, while Qatar’s exports to the US include fertilizers, aluminum, and LNG. (QNA)