Doha: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan H E Toshimitsu Motegi chaired the official opening session of the first strategic dialogue between the governments of the State of Qatar and Japan, which was held at the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday.
At the beginning of the session, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani welcomed Toshimitsu Motegi and his accompanying delegation, and announced the start of the first round of the strategic dialogue between the two countries, whose launching was signed during the visit of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to Japan in January 2019. The Deputy Prime Minister also praised the level of bilateral relations, the fruitful cooperation and friendship between the two countries, stressing Qatar’s keenness to strengthen and expand these relations at all levels, and its interest in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral relations next year by holding cultural and sports events in the two countries.
He congratulated Japan for the success of the Olympic Games hosted by Tokyo this summer, praising the level of organisation, especially in light of the current pandemic conditions, and also indicated Qatar’s aspiration to welcome the Japanese team in the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
He praised the mechanism of the regular meetings of the joint economic committee between the two countries, and the importance of continuing these meetings, expressing Qatar’s aspiration to develop it to live up to the aspirations of the people and leadership of the two friendly countries. He also expressed Qatar’s satisfaction with the level of economic and investment cooperation between the two countries, and its commitment to making efforts to develop it in all fields.
The Deputy Prime Minister reiterated the Qatari side’s keenness to continue the active participation of Japanese companies in infrastructure projects in Qatar, expressing Qatar’s desire to benefit from Japan’s expertise and capabilities in various fields. He urged the Japanese side to encourage more Japanese companies to invest in Qatar in various fields, pointing in this regard to the appropriate investment environment and services provided by the State of Qatar to investors.
For his part, Toshimitsu Motegi stressed that his country is linked to a comprehensive partnership with the State of Qatar, with cooperative relations in various fields, especially in the energy sector, praising the great development witnessed by bilateral relations, pointing to the signing during the visit of Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani to Japan in January 2019, of several memoranda of cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, transport, environment, legal affairs, culture and sports.
He said that the steady supply of liquefied natural gas and oil from the State of Qatar has been supportive of Japan’s economic growth for many years, stressing that the State of Qatar is a true friend of his country.
He pointed out that the visit by him and the accompanying delegation coincides with the approaching 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, which will be an opportunity to start the first strategic dialogue and discuss the importance of establishing an international system based on the rule of law and cooperation in order to ensure regional stability.
He expressed his confidence that Japan and Qatar will be able to seize this opportunity to further deepen cooperation and relations, especially in the political and security fields, as well as economic aspects, including the stability of LNG supplies and the early conclusion of the investment agreement.
On the other hand, the two sides discussed the latest field developments in Afghanistan, both at the security and political levels, where Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed the importance of protecting civilians, and the need to intensify the necessary efforts to achieve national reconciliation, seeking a comprehensive political settlement that guarantees a peaceful transfer of power in Afghanistan in line with the gains made by the Afghan people.
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan thanked the State of Qatar for its effective contribution to the process of evacuating civilians, and its continuous efforts in the peace process in the region.
Earlier, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs held a meeting with the Japanese Foreign Minister and his accompanying delegation. During the meeting, bilateral cooperation and relations between the two countries were reviewed.
