HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and President Hollande witness the signing of an
agreement between Qatar and France in Doha yesterday.
QNA/Doha
The official visit yesterday by French President Francois Hollande to Qatar, his second to the country, has given a new push to the relations between Qatar and France, particularly in the fields of defence and security, a joint communique issued by the two countries said.
The communique was issued following official talks between HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and President Hollande at the Emiri Diwan yesterday.
The French president’s visit has also given a boost to the two countries’ relations in the economic and tourism fields which could be further expanded thanks to the exemption of the Qatari citizens from Shengen visa, the communique added.
According to the communique”
1. The Emir and the French president underlined the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the world. In this context, France and Qatar reaffirmed their interest in promoting co-operation in the defence and security fields.
3. The two countries welcomed yesterday’s agreement the provides for Qatar’s purchase of 24 Rafale fighter aircraft. This reaffirms Qatar’s selection of France as a strategic partner in the field of defence. The two countries intend to develop a comprehensive partnership in an endeavour to enhance the capability of the Qatari army with a special focus on a set of equipment in some major areas, as in the field of military aviation.
4. In the field of air transport, the French president and the Emir reaffirmed their interest to improve exchanges between the two countries and to work together to ensure a better air link.
France and Qatar also intend to continue their co-operation in the transport infrastructure sector.
5. The French president congratulated the Emir on holding the 2022 FIFA World Football Cup in Qatar, for which France will pool its expertise and the experience of its companies in order to avail the French skills for Qatar in the preparation and organisation of big sporting events.
6.The Emir and the French president reaffirmed that Qatar and France were partners in the field of security of the stadiums during major sporting events, where Qatar and France had been working side by side, especially during the World Handball Championship in 2015.
7. This major sporting event had met remarkable success. France will stand by Qatar in the same manner in the FIFA World Cup finals in 2022. In this regard, agreements were signed in October 2014 between Qatar Internal Security Force and the National Gendarmerie, and between the Directorate General of the Qatari public security and French National Police and in April 2015, an agreement between the National School of Magistrat du Parquet (French Judiciary system) and Qatar Public prosecution was signed for the training of judges on the judicial administration of sports events. Work has also commenced on a promising co-operation in the field of civil defence between the two countries.
8. The Emir and the French president have reaffirmed their desire to encourage investments in the two countries, as well as partnerships between companies in the two countries. The parties agreed to strengthen the financial partnership between CDC International Capital and Qatar Investment Authority, in order to achieve new investments. Moreover, France and Qatar are working now to identify joint investment projects in other countries, particularly in Africa.
9. The Emir and the French president expressed their satisfaction with the conclusion of the new partnership agreement between the French Agency for Development and “Educate A child” Foundation. They have also reaffirmed their desire that France and Qatar should undertake joint development assistance projects in Africa. Experts from both countries began to identify these projects which should be implemented by the Qatari and French specialised institutions.
10. Qatar, which hosted the 18th Session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the French Republic, which will host the 21st session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, have decided to to reach an international agreement with a legal framework implementable by all parties with a view to cutting global warming below two degrees Celsius.
