Emir and Obama discuss bilateral co-operation

HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani meeting with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC yesterday.HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani with Vice President Joe Biden in Washington, DC yesterday.

QNA WashingtonHH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and US President Barack Obama yesterday held official talks at the White House. The talks dealt with  bilateral co-operation and a number of regional and international issues, particularly the latest developments in the Middle East. HH the Emir and President Obama reviewed bilateral relations and ways to enhance them in various fields, including investment, educational, technological areas as well as development of military capabilities of the Qatari Armed Forces in a way that achieves the common strategic interests of the two countries and people. They also discussed a number of regional issues and exchanged views on them in addition to the co-ordination of positions towards them.In a statement following his talks with HH the Emir, President Obama hailed the excellent and close relations between the two countries, pointing to areas of co-operation between Qatar and the United States. Describing Qatar as a “strong partner”, Obama said: “We are long-term partners in multiple security, commercial, educational, scientific and technological areas and that Qatar is a major investor in the United States.”Obama said that Qatar was a “strong partner” in the international coalition against terrorism and expressed his thanks to Qatar’s efforts in this area.Earlier yesterday, the Emir held a working breakfast meeting with US Vice-President Joe Biden.Ways to develop co-operation between Qatar and the US were discussed at the meeting which was held at the home of the vice-president. The two sides also exchanged views on the overall international situation and the latest developments in the Middle East. The working breakfast was attended by members of the official delegation accompanying the Emir and a number of senior US officials.“The bottom line is that Washington and Doha share an exceptionally strong strategic partnership,” said Lori Plotkin Boghardt of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Page 2Qatar  ‘a bedrock of stability in a sea of turmoil’HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani has underlined that the Middle East is experiencing perilous times. The ongoing violence in Syria and Iraq has now been joined by new crises in Libya and Yemen, while the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues unabated. But as bad as the situation is now, it will almost certainly deteriorate further if the peace-loving nations of the world don’t act quickly to rein in the forces of instability and violence. In an article published in the New York Times yesterday, the Emir said: “Although Qatar has been a bedrock of stability in a sea of turmoil, we are part and parcel of the region, and we care deeply about its wellbeing. We have joined the United States-led international coalition against terrorism, and we are united with our partners in the Gulf to combat violent extremism in all its forms. In keeping with our role as mediators between regional adversaries, we have also been active in diplomatic efforts to solve protracted conflicts in places such as Sudan, Lebanon and Yemen.” Page 2