Qatar and Italy have shared stable diplomatic ties for decades, spanning several development sectors, especially in the economic, commercial and sports sectors. Besides, Qatari-Italian relations have been bolstered over the years as Qatari and Italian officials exchange visits to strengthen and develop these relations. This is obviously reflected in the signing of several bilateral agreements between the two countries.
In 2022, Qatar and Italy’s trade volume amounted to almost €8bn, an increase of 120.5 percent compared to 2021.
Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has visited Italy on several occasions in which many agreements have been signed, while Italian leaders have also visited Qatar on official engagements. On Sunday, Prime Minister of Italy H E Giorgia Meloni demonstrated solid bilateral relations between the two countries by a visit to Qatar. The Amir’s post on X to welcome the Italian PM, who he described as ‘his friend Giorgia’, further accentuates the level of friendship between Qatar and the European nation.
During talks between the two leaders, they dealt with bilateral relations and ways to enhance them in various fields, particularly in the economy, investment, energy, and defence. According to the Qatar News Agency, they also discussed several regional and international issues of common interest, particularly developments in the Middle East region.
Talks also covered cooperation in the fight against illegal migration following the Development and Migration Conference held on July 23 in Rome. The two leaders also focused on energy partnership and opportunities for collaboration. It is worth mentioning that Italy’s energy giant ENI, in 2022, signed to become a partner with Qatar Energy to join the world’s biggest liquified natural gas (LNG) project, expected to come online before the end of 2025. The Amir underlined Qatar’s keenness to elevate the distinguished relations between the two countries to broader horizons and develop bilateral cooperation in various areas, benefiting both friendly nations.
Meanwhile, the Italian PM expressed her anticipation for strengthening the growing relations between the two countries and renewed her country’s thanks to Qatar for its medical assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic and its efforts in facilitating the evacuation of Italian citizens from Afghanistan. The Italian PM was accompanied by Economy Minister Giancarlo Giorgetti, who had a constructive and engaging meeting with Qatar’s Minister of Finance H E Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, with an invitation for both sides to discuss further business in sport, new technologies, infrastructure and joint collaborations.
For the upcoming Expo 2023, Italy a leader in modern 4.0 agricultural technologies, including drones, sensors, Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data and artificial intelligence will showcase its technology and innovative processes at the Italian pavilion of Expo 2023 Doha.
