Today Qatar and the United States are celebrating 50th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations. The relations of the two friendly countries have grown to the level of strategic partnership in the last five decades and they are strengthening further with the passage of time.
These bilateral ties are deep, strategic, time-tested and cover almost all areas from culture to defence cooperation. In recent years, Qatar and the US have developed a strong alliance that is working to establish peace and stability in the region and beyond through countering various challenges.
Recently the US designated Qatar as a major non-NATO ally which reflects the depth and strength of ties between the countries.
Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the United States H E Sheikh Meshal bin Hamad Al Thani has said that the State of Qatar’s obtaining the designation of a major non-NATO ally of the US is a very important event.
He said that relations between Qatar and the United States have reached an advanced and unprecedented stage of development, in addition to the existing military and security cooperation between the two countries and the presence of Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which plays a pivotal role in the American policy aimed at preserving the stability of the Middle East, its strategic balances, its interests and the interests of its allies.
In the last 50 years, the two countries have established a solid base for distinguished regional and international political relations, as well as understandings, agreements, and a deep economic, investment, security, and societal partnership, and Doha has become an indispensable center in the US strategy for the Middle East, the Arabian Peninsula and the Indian Ocean.
The size of the economic partnership between the two countries also exceeds $200bn, and Qatar has invested hundreds of billions of dollars in the American economy, which provides tens of thousands of jobs throughout the US, and more than 120 companies wholly owned by the American side operate in the Qatari market, along with 640 companies established in partnership between the Qatari and American sides.
The cooperation between Qatar and the United States on several areas has broadened and deepened significantly in recent years, said Chargé d’Affaires at the US Embassy in Doha, Natalie A Baker.
The strong ties between Qatar and the US in areas such as trade, humanitarian assistance, security collaboration, trade, culture, education and several others will continue to deepen in the years ahead, she said.
