Two Dutch journalists emphasized the significant importance of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani's official visit to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which will reflect positively on the bilateral relations and contribute to enhancing and developing them in various fields.
In exclusive statements to Qatar News Agency (QNA), the journalists said that HH the Amir's visit will open new horizons for joint cooperation, expecting the economic relations between Qatar and the Netherlands to see a remarkable growth in the coming years in light of the distinguished relations between the two countries.
Hoessein Sabir, a journalist at the Dutch Broadcasting Foundation (NOS), said the cooperation between Qatar and the Netherlands is constantly evolving, noting that the visit of HM Queen Beatrix, the former Queen of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, to the State of Qatar in March 2011 gave a strong boost to the bilateral relations, allowing further development and expansion in various areas of cooperation.
Sabir noted the joint keenness on continuously advancing the economic ties. Last year, affiliates of QatarEnergy and Shell signed two long-term LNG sale and purchase agreements (SPAs) for the supply of up to 3.5 million tons per annum of LNG from Qatar to the Netherlands..
Pursuant to the SPAs, the LNG will be delivered to Gate LNG terminal located in the port of Rotterdam starting in 2026 for a term of 27 years. The LNG volumes will be sourced from the two joint ventures between QatarEnergy and Shell that hold interests in Qatar's North Field East (NFE) and North field South (NFS) expansion projects.
Sabir believed the economic relations between the two countries to see significant growth in the coming years, based on the strong diplomatic ties that have developed over the past few years. He noted that the Netherlands is a key and important player in Europe, with a major airport - Amsterdam Schiphol Airport (AMS) - and important ports such as Rotterdam. The Netherlands currently transports LNG from Qatar and re-exports it to Europe, he added.
Sabir noted that Qatar and the Netherlands share many common characteristics. Both are small countries in terms of area but have significant influence regionally and globally. They are also both committed to addressing climate change challenges - a significant challenge for both countries - and seek to find and develop innovative solutions for their clean energy needs.
On the other hand, Sabir praised Qatar's growing regional and global role, commending its successful mediations in several conflict areas worldwide.
He said that mediation is one of the main pillars of the Qatari diplomacy; noting that the Netherlands had benefited from the Qatari mediation in 2021 when Dutch citizens wanted to leave Afghanistan. It was a very difficult process, but Qatar helped evacuate Dutch nationals and employees from Kabul, he said.
He highlighted Qatars efforts to fulfill the aspirations of the Afghan people for security and stability, which is evident in the mediation efforts that culminated in the signing of the Doha Agreement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan in 2020; adding that Qatar continues these efforts by hosting the meetings of the special envoys concerned with Afghanistan, which were called for by the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
Sabir also pointed to Qatar's important role in mediating to reach a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. He said that Qatar's role in ending the war on Gaza is extremely important as it is one of the few parties that can speak with everyone and propose solutions that can be implemented under the most difficult circumstances.
He emphasized that military solutions do not lead to results, stressing that need for negotiations and dialogue, and for urgent humanitarian aid to be brought into Gaza.
Sabir underlined that the success of the current round of negotiations between Hamas and Israel, held under the sponsorship of Qatar, Egypt and the United States, will have a wide positive impact on the world.
For his part, Dutch journalist Fathi Morali affirmed that the visit of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to the Kingdom of the Netherlands will open new horizons of cooperation between the two countries.
In remarks to Qatar News Agency (QNA), he said that the State of Qatar has a good reputation in the Netherlands, and there is economic and trade exchange between the two countries in many fields.
The Netherlands enjoys a strong economy, and the visit of HH the Amir could result in cooperation in many fields, especially since there are great opportunities available for cooperation, he added.
Morali believed that strengthening cooperation in the energy and agricultural sectors may be at the forefront of the evolving economic relations between the two countries, pointing to the advanced agricultural sector in the Netherlands, which can be leveraged by Qatar. In turn, the Netherlands need energy, which the State of Qatar possesses greatly.
Morali pointed out that the port of Rotterdam is one of the most important European ports in the field of energy, which opens new opportunities for cooperation between the two countries, especially considering the circumstances that Europe is going through regarding energy needs since the start of the Russian-Ukrainian crisis in 2022.
In conclusion, Morali praised the efforts exerted by the State of Qatar to reach a ceasefire and end the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, expressing his hope that these efforts would lead to an end to the war.
