Qatar and France, over the past decades, have taken their bilateral relations to a strategic partnership in diverse fields, distinguished by high-level visits between the two countries.
Qatar has signed a number of agreements with France, covering economic, political, cultural, scientific, academic and technical areas, as well as military agreements, and two countries are tied in a strategic dialogue protocol. Doha and Paris have similar positions on a number of international issues and have jointly worked to promote peace and sustainable development around the globe.
The two countries have held regular consultations on major regional and international issues. Bilateral defense cooperation agreements cover areas of training and expertise transfer, and holding joint military training courses on a regular basis. Bilateral trade has shown steady increase in recent years and Qatar is also a key energy supplier to France.
Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani’s current visit to Paris will take the ties to broader horizons. H H the Amir and French President H E Emmanuel Macron discussed ways to boost bilateral partnership, especially in areas of politics, security, economy, investment, technology, health and education. The two leaders also witnessed the signing of a declaration of intent for cooperation in the fields of humanitarian assistance and emergency intervention. The Amir and the French President also discussed the future of the Palestinian cause as the cornerstone of Qatar’s international and regional concerns, emphasising exerting every effort to stop the war in Gaza and deliver aid to the Palestinian people. Qatar and France have been working together to achieve a humanitarian ceasefire and deliver aid to Gaza civilians.
During the visit, the Amir also announced to increase State of Qatar’s investments in France to 10 billion Euros in the coming years, which will be directed to strengthening strategic economic partnerships between the two countries. The Amir also praised the French capital’s readiness to host the 2024 Paris Olympics this summer. He expressed Qatar’s aspiration to cooperate in the success of organising this global sporting event.
The French President awarded H H the Amir the Legion of Honor with the rank of “Chevalier” in appreciation of the Amir’s role in strengthening friendly relations between the two countries. The Amir also awarded the French President the Founder’s Sword of Sheikh Jassim bin Mohammed bin Thani, Qatar’s highest decoration, for his role in supporting and developing relations between the two countries. The Amir’s visit will lead to further strengthening of Qatar-France ties and joint collaboration on shared goals around the world.
