Amir to chair Qatar's delegation to Arab summit

His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani will head Qatar's delegation to the 30th Arab League summit in Tunis Sunday.

An official delegation is accompanying His Highness the Amir. In remarks made exclusively to Qatar News Agency (QNA), Qatar's ambassador to Tunisia, Saad bin Nasser al-Humaidi, stressed the importance of His Highness the Amir's chairing of the country's delegation during the Arab summit.He said the summit is taking place at a delicate time for the Arab world, and especially for Qatar, which has managed to overcome a brutal blockade imposed on the Qatari people.The ambassador said the attendance of His Highness Sheikh Tamim in the summit confirmed that Qatar remained a vital and active part of the Arab region. "It shows that Qatar can never opt out of its responsibilities towards the Arab world and joint Arab work. It also shows that Qatar is committed to making a contribution to the progress of the Arab world whether through the positions it takes or its support of developmental efforts in the region," al-Humaidi said.He also said the attendance of the Amir is a reflection of the high priority Qatar gives to Arab affairs, and to Arab national security, regardless of the region's current conditions.The envoy said the visit of the Amir to Tunisia came after an invite from Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi, adding that the visit will also provide an opportunity to discuss building on the excellent bilateral co-operation.The Amir's visit to Tunisia comes at a time when bilateral ties are witnessing a qualitative leap in terms of political co-ordination between the two countries. This is reflected in the visits the two countries leaders pay one another, and through meetings of joint committees, as well as economic and trade co-operation, which saw a growth of 34.52% in the first quarter on an annual basis. The total trade volume between the two countries now exceeds QR76.3mn.The last few years also saw an increase in the number of Qatari projects in Tunisia. Qatar and Tunisia share a historic relationship, reflected by the agreements they signed in fields such as judicial, Islamic affairs, tourism, transport, environment, diplomatic relationship, and preventing double taxation among others.The ambassador said that these agreements and others will help grow bilateral ties, which have seen significant development in recent years, particularly since the Tunisia investment conference.Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres arrived in Tunis on Saturday to participate in the summit.The UN chief will meet with Tunisian President Essebsi and senior government officials.Guterres will also inaugurate the new UN House in Tunis, la Maison Bleue, and hold a meeting with women leaders and civil society representatives.The Secretary-General's main priority for this visit will be the situation in Libya. He will attend a Quartet meeting on Libya, which brings together the UN, Arab League, the African Union and the European Union, according to the UN spokesman.