Qatar’s friendly relationship with France has strengthened in recent years. 

The two friendly countries have signed a number of agreements, earlier, which have seen the delivery of 36 French-made Rafael fighter jets as well as the first set of trains for the Lusail Tram arrive in Qatar, among several other outcomes.

In a bid to further bolster their existing bilateral ties, Qatar and France yesterday signed a slew of agreements in the fields of defense, security, and cybercrime, in addition to others.

Yesterday, His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held official talks with the French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe and his accompanying delegation at the Amiri Diwan, reported The Peninsula.

The meeting involved a review of bilateral relations and ways to further enhance them, while also looking into the most prominent regional and international developments.

Later, His Excellency the Prime Minister and the Minister of Interior Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani chaired a session of official talks with the French PM, which was followed by the signing of a number of deals and Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) in the presence of ministers from the two friendly nations.

The visit of the French Prime Minister to Doha focuses on encouraging investments as well as aspects of economy, investment and industry relations between the two countries #QNA pic.twitter.com/DtJMscEYuW

— Qatar News Agency (@QNAEnglish) March 28, 2019

According to Gulf Times, the agreements signed on the occasion included:

• An agreement between the governments of Qatar and France on exchanging classified and protected information in the defense field.
• A letter of intent between the French Ministry of the Interior and the security committee for management of the security for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
• An administrative arrangement annex for cooperation between the French Ministry of Justice and the Public Prosecution in Qatar on promoting co-operation in the field of fighting cyber crimes.
• A letter of intent between Qatar Museums and the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs on moving the French Institute in Qatar to Bait Al Zaman.
• A letter of intent between Qatar Museums and Palais de Tokyo in Paris. 
• A cooperation agreement between Imagine institute for genetic diseases and Hamad bin Khalifa University.

“The signing of several agreements today opens up broad prospects for strengthening the relations and cooperation to achieve the common interests of both countries,” HE the PM said at a joint press conference with his French counterpart, reported Qatar Tribune.

HE the Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior and his French counterpart witness the signing of several agreements and memorandums of understanding between the two countries' governments in the Amiri Diwan #QNA pic.twitter.com/AIcsxEkAS3

— Qatar News Agency (@QNAEnglish) March 28, 2019

He further thanked the French PM and his accompanying delegation for being a part of the official opening of the National Museum of Qatar on Wednesday, saying that this mirrors the depth of the friendly relations between both countries.

The PM highlighted Qatar’s investments in France, which are continuously increasing in different fields including energy, real estate and sports, to name a few. He further mentioned the growing presence of French companies in Qatar, adding that Doha welcomes further investment and increased trade from France.

Additionally, the two sides discussed the Gulf crisis, where HE Qatar’s PM acknowledged France’s positive stance since the beginning of the crisis, which calls for resolving the crisis through dialogue.

On the Palestinian issue, the PM said Qatar and France share a common vision that it is impossible to have stability in the Middle East or the world unless there is a just and comprehensive solution to the issue through the implementation of international legitimacy resolutions, complying with the concept of a two-state solution. 

Furthermore, HE the PM urged the international community to make sincere efforts to find peaceful solutions to the current crises in Syria, Libya and Yemen.

On combating terrorism, the PM said the two countries’ vision is identical in rejecting terrorism and its forms, noting that Qatar spares no effort in combating terrorism at the national, regional and international levels.

The French PM stressed the importance of the relations between the two countries and the convergence of their future visions in most of the issues.

He lauded Qatar’s cultural aspirations, saying the opening of the museum was a remarkable moment for Qatar’s history.

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