HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani stressed that the outcomes of the preparatory ministerial meeting for the eighth meeting of the Qatari-Turkish Supreme Strategic Committee were constructive, expressing his thanks to the work teams in the two ministries of foreign affairs to prepare for the work of this committee.
In a joint press conference with Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu Mevlut Cavusoglu today in Istanbul, His Excellency said that the two sides agreed to keep enhancing bilateral relations, particularly in the economic, investment, and trade fields, in addition to enhancing cultural relations and ties between the two peoples.
He said that the talks provided an opportunity to hold political consultations on various issues, and there is complete consensus in the views between the State of Qatar and Turkey on various issues, noting that the two sides discussed the developments of the Palestinian issue, which is the central issue for both countries, and they also touched upon the Declaration of Algiers that was signed between the Palestinian factions. The State of Qatar once again welcomed this announcement, and hoped that these positive steps would contribute to ending the state of division that greatly affected the Palestinian cause.
His Excellency expressed Qatar’s condemnation of the Israeli escalation that occurs on a daily basis, the violations in the various regions of the West Bank, and the repeated incursions into Al Aqsa Mosque.
Regarding the developments of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis, HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs praised the role played by the Republic of Turkey and its diplomacy in helping achieve stability in food markets, especially the grains markets, noting in this context the Istanbul agreement that was signed several months ago and expressed the support of Qatar for Turkish diplomatic efforts.
His Excellency renewed the State of Qatar’s firm position regarding the crisis in terms of its rejection of the violation of countries’ sovereignty, and the sovereignty of Ukraine in this regard in particular, stressing the State of Qatar’s support to diplomatic efforts aiming to end the war peacefully and diplomatically as quickly as possible.
He added that talks also included developments in Syria, Libya, Afghanistan and Iraq. His Excellency said that Qatar supports the work of the UN Envoy to Syria and would like to see real progress from the Syrian regime’s delegations to the constitutional committee. His Excellency also said that Qatar supports a political resolution that ends the suffering of the Syrian people as quickly as possible. His Excellency also said that Qatar’s position was firm regarding the unity of Libya’s land, ending the division as soon as possible, achieving stability, and holding elections in line with constitutional and legal rules that would be agreed on.
Regarding Afghanistan, HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani expressed Qatar’s thanks to Turkey for its support for the Qatari efforts to establish stability in Afghanistan and put an end to the suffering of the Afghan people by providing humanitarian aids, and also through working with the current government to put an end to the actions that carry violations to some groups of the Afghan people.
His Excellency said that the talks also dealt with the recent developments in Iraq. His Excellency concluded his statement by extending his thanks to Turkey for its support to the State of Qatar regarding the organization of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. His Excellency added that there is a continuous cooperation between all parties in the State of Qatar and the fraternal Republic of Turkey to make this tournament a success, as Qatar looks for hosting the world in less than a month from now. As Qatar promised twelve years ago, FIFA World Cup Qatar will be among the best tournaments in history.
In response to journalists’ questions, HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs said that the meeting between HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and HE President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the sixth summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) dealt with several regional and bilateral issues. His Excellency stressed Qatar’s clear stance towards the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian crisis, pointing out that there are several repercussions of this crisis on energy markets, and Qatar is a major player in these international markets. His Excellency also noted the crisis repercussions on international food security and its reflections on the entire international system.
His Excellency added that the meeting extensively dealt with several other regional and international issues that Qatar does not want to be affected by the current escalation between Russia and Ukraine such as the Iranian nuclear issue, the Syrian issue, and the exerted efforts in Libya. In this regard, His Excellency stressed the importance of dialogue and opening communication channels between all parties to put an end to that escalation. His Excellency stressed Qatar’s firm stance of respecting the sovereignty of countries and adhering to the UN Charter and the indivisible principles of international law.
His Excellency added that what applies to Ukraine also applies to other issues whether in Palestine and putting an end to the Israeli occupation there or regarding any other country.
His Excellency said that Qatar’s and Turkey’s positions on various issues discussed Friday are in harmony, indicating that Turkey finds all the needed support in its endeavors to find a solution for the Russian-Ukrainian crisis and its repercussions. His Excellency explained that there is no Qatari interference or initiative to put an end to that crisis and that the State of Qatar is always ready to provide support for the international efforts that contribute to resolving that crisis and Qatar are in continuous communications with the brothers in Turkey and will provide Turkey with any needed support to make these efforts a success.
For his part, HE Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu said that the talks dealt with bilateral relations. His Excellency pointed out that the business relations between the two countries are continuously growing and that the trade volume is rapidly growing, expresseing Turkey’s appreciation of Qatar’s efforts to reduce the energy crisis.
Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs