Qatar ambassador sees quantum leap Qatar-Uzbekistan ties

Qatar's ambassador in Tashkent Hassan bin Hamza Hashim emphasised that the visit of His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to Uzbekistan constitutes a quantum leap in bilateral relations.In a statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA) he said the arrival of the Amir in the historical city of Samarkand, the capital of the Timurid Empire, indicates the importance of his visit.He pointed out that the Qatari-Uzbek bilateral relations are undergoing significant and remarkable development, which can be seen in the mutual visits at the highest levels, including the visit of the Amir.The ambassador stressed that the visit of the Amir represents an important opportunity to discuss supporting bilateral relations, especially in trade, economic and investment fields, in addition to the regional and international situations, especially the current situation in Afghanistan, since Qatar played a major role in Afghan peace, and Uzbek side co-operated with Qatar in this file.He added that visit would also be an appropriate opportunity to sign a number of agreements between the two countries, including an agreement on co-operation in customs, an agreement on double taxation avoidance, an agreement on the use of the Uzbek workforce in Qatar, the agreement on encouraging and protecting mutual investments, and exempting holders of diplomatic passports from visas.He also pointed out that there is trade exchange between the two countries, adding that they look forward to operating direct flights between the two countries in the near future, which will support the economy and tourism in the two countries.He added that they also look forward to exchanging visits and meetings between businessmen in the two countries to find out the investment opportunities and business fields available to both sides, as well as benefit from the many incentives, facilities and advantages offered by the two governments in this field.The ambassador stated that there are Qatari investment projects in Uzbekistan, among them are the projects of the Nebras Power and an investment project for the Barzan Company. There are also six Uzbek companies operating in the Qatari market with joint capital.He pointed out that the relations between the two countries began with the signing of the protocol for establishing diplomatic relations on November 27, 1997, at the ambassadorial level (non-resident). The embassy of Qatar in Tashkent was inaugurated on December 22, 2022, with his appointment as the first resident ambassador in Tashkent.He pointed out that through his meetings with Uzbek officials, he noticed a great interest from the Uzbek side to consolidate relations with the Qatari side in various fields, especially after the opening of the embassy in Tashkent and the bilateral visits at all levels.