India is a Strategic Partner to Qatar

HE Qatari Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Dr. Khalid Bin Mohamed Al Attiyah, has described the Republic of India as the strategic partner of the State of Qatar noting that it, India, gains the due attention of the Qatari leadership and that relations with it is very important. In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA), HE Al Attiyah made clear that Qatar's due keenness to further enhance relations with the friendly Repubic of India is clearly vivid via the current visit to India by HH the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani, which is the third one after HH's earlier visits in 1995 and 2005.

'This is in addition to the presence of about 500,000 members of the Indian community living in Qatar as well as India as being a major player in international groupings on the Asian and international levels and in view of its strategic position in Asia', said HE Al Attiyah. Elaborating HE Qatari Minister of State for Foreign Affairs further said, ''This makes it imperative to extend bridges of relations in all fields, economic m educational, cultural and political ones''.

Asked about his impressions concerning the Qatari-Indian meetings held here earlier today and prospects to further boosting bilateral relations, HE Qatari Minister of State for Foreign Affairs told QNA that the exchange of visits on the level of the leaders of the two countries, falls within the context of consolidating the Qatari-Indian joint higher committee and further enhancing relations between them. These meetings resulted on signing a set of agreements covering several domains, such as education, energy and culture in addition to establishing the Qatari-Indian Businessmen Council. The latest developments on the international scene with emphasis on the Middle East latest developments were also taken up, QNA quoted HE Dr. Khalid Bin Mohamed Al Attiyah as saying.

In response to a question about the purpose of the current Asian tour by HH the Emir, and includes the Republic of India, Republic of the Philippines, HE Dr. Al-Attiyah said the target is strategic, noting that the fact that as the State of Qatar is an exporter of oil and gas and most of its markets exist in Asia, therefore such visits are gaining a strategic depth and due care must be taken into account stressing meantime the importance of communication with these countries on a permanent basis. HE Al Attiyah further said, ''HH the Emir is in charge of setting and establishing the rules upon which we build the policy and vision of the State of Qatar."

In response to a question on the visit of Afghan Foreign Minister Zalmai Rasoul to Doha recently and the position of the State of Qatar vis-a-vis the situation in Afghanistan, HE Qatar's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs stressed the permanent keenness of the State of Qatar to develop relations with Afghanistan and support the peace process in it , namely Afghanistan and in the region as a whole. Asked about the possibility of Qatar ,entering as a mediator in the peace process in Afghanistan, HE Dr. Khalid Al Attiyah said, '' We know that the talks between the Taliban movement and the United States in this matter pending at the moment at the request of the Taliban''. HE Dr. Al-Attiyah further said that Qatar has no role in speeding up talks or not and that the intervention of any third party in these talks, must be approved by the two parties, the owners of the relationship.