THE State of Qatar and the United States of America concluded the Third Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue this week in Washington DC, further strengthening the bilateral cooperation in areas of health, humanitarian assistance, international development, labour, law enforcement, counter-terrorism, commerce, culture and education. A joint statement issued after the dialogue expressed concern at the detrimental security, economic, and social impacts of the Gulf crisis on the region. The two governments also affirmed their continued support for a strong and united Gulf Cooperation Council focused on promoting a peaceful and prosperous future for all in the region and on countering regional threats. A number of MoUs and other documents were signed during the two days of talks. They include a partnership between Qatar Foundation (QF), Qatar Museums (QM), and the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest museum and research complex; as well as the announcement of a Mission Concept Formulation Study between QF member Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) and Nasa to analyse the impact of rising sea levels and their effect on Qatar, and how changing climates affect the world’s arid regions. Meanwhile, a further agreement will see two members of the Fulbright Scholars Program in the US spend a semester in Qatar to conduct research at HBKU’s research institutes. Qatar Museums has also announced to celebrate 2021 as Qatar-US Year of culture, with a number of cultural events to take place in both the countries to celebrate the strong ties between Doha and Washington. The US also welcomed and recognised Qatar’s active role in mediation to promote peace and reconciliation in the region and beyond. The US government also thanked Qatar for its efforts to bring about peace in Afghanistan and its role in a historic deal between the Taliban and the US signed in Doha in February 2020, as well as the ongoing Afghanistan Peace Negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government representatives. The US also recognised the significant progress Qatar has made toward enacting labour reforms and efforts to combat human trafficking, including abolishing exit permits for workers. In addition, the US praised Qatar for issuing legislation mandating a minimum wage law and abolishing the “No Objection Certificate” law. The two sides plan to expand previous collaboration and implement MoUs with a focus on strengthening Qatar’s recent reforms. On health cooperation, the US and Qatar stand together in support of global health security and a world safe and secure from infectious disease threats, such as COVID-19.
