The Prime Minister and Interior Minister H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani and Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs, Singapore, witnessing the signing of a memorandum of understanding in the field of education, in Singapore yesterday. Both countries signed five MoUs in different sectors.
DOHA/SINGAPORE: Qatar and Singapore signed five Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in different sectors including education and training, transportation and ICT.
The MoUs were inked during the sixth High Level Joint Committee (HLJC) meeting between the two countries held in Singapore yesterday.
In the meeting, both the parties reaffirmed their commitment to further deepening and strengthening bilateral cooperation.
The meeting was co-chaired by Prime Minister and Minister of Interior H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani and and Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs, Singapore.
Following are the MoUs:
1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar (Diplomatic Institute) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore (Diplomatic Academy) signed an MOU on enhancing cooperation on the training of foreign service officers.
2. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore and the Ministry of Administrative Development of Qatar signed an MoU on the implementation of a training programme for the Asia-Middle East Dialogue countries at the Regional Training Centre for Public Administration in Qatar.
3. Qatar Leadership Centre and Civil Service College of Singapore signed an MoU on cooperation and exchange in the area of capacity development of government officials and sectoral leaders.
4. Qatar University and the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore signed an MoU on mutual academic cooperation.
5. The Ministry of Information and Communications Technology of Qatar (MICT) and CrimsonLogic signed an MoU to facilitate public-private partnership cooperation projects between MICT and CrimsonLogic.
The HLJC agreed that good progress has been made in bilateral cooperation since the last meeting in Doha. With the entry into force of the Gulf Cooperation Council-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (GSFTA) on September 1, 2013, the HLJC noted that there is scope for economic relations to strengthen further.
The high level meeting, attended by over a dozen of ministers and technocrats from both the countries, encouraged companies from both sides to make full use of the benefits under the GSFTA. During the meeting, the Public Utilities Board of Singapore presented on the topic of water security and management while the Civil Service College of Singapore shared its leadership development initiatives. Qatar Rail updated the HLJC on Qatar railway projects.
The Qatari delegation included H E Dr Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah, Minister of Foreign Affairs, H E Ali Sherif Al Emadi, Minister of Finance, H E Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al Thani, Minister of Economy and Trade, H E Dr Issa bin Saad Al Jafali Al Nuaimi, Minister of Administrative Development, H E Dr Hessa Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Communication and Information Technology, H E Jassim Seif Ahmed Al Sulaiti, Minister of Transport, Dr Sheikha Abdullah Al Misnad, President of Qatar University, Ahmad Mohammed Al Said, President of Qatar Investment Authority, Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways and Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani, President of Qatar Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The HLJC agreed to hold the next meeting in Qatar at a mutually convenient date in 2014 and to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.the peninsula
