The experts said the success of Qatari diplomacy on several issues is due to the fact that Doha maintains good relations not only in its regional environment, but in the international community in general.
In exclusive statements to Qatar News Agency (QNA) from London, professor of international politics at the University of Birmingham, Scott Lucas, said Qatar has close and effective relations on the international stage, which it has strengthened. He pointed to the Qatar's importance on the current energy issue and in negotiations on Iran's nuclear programme, as well as strong relations with Britain and the US.
The tour undertaken by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani shows the strength of the country's foreign relations, and the arrangement of this visit also indicates the possibility of a Qatari move in the field of activating negotiations of the Iranian nuclear deal between the West and Iran, Lucas said. The various relations give the state flexibility to intervene in problems and resolve these, he added.
Lucas stressed Qatar's international relations are not only influential in its regional environment, but also in other regions of the world, adding that the Ukrainian crisis highlighted the great role Qatar can play in global energy security.
On the Qatari-British relations and their development, Lucas said relations between the two countries have always been strong. However, these are becoming increasingly stronger during this particular period for several reasons, the most important of which is that UK now needs to reformulate its political and military role in the international arena, after its withdrawal from the European Union (Brexit). In addition, Britain is now seeking to enter into new commercial partnerships after Brexit, providing it with new markets that balances the European market from which it exited.
Lucas expects His Highness the Amir and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to discuss many issues on strengthening economic and investment relations.
Arab Digest newspaper editor-in-chief Bill Law highlighted the importance of His Highness the Amir's visit to Britain, stressing that the turbulent issues facing the world, Qatar's diplomatic role, as well as the energy crisis in Europe give great impetus to this visit, which is expected to have positive results on the relations not only between Qatar and Britain, but also between Qatar and the West as a whole.
Law added that the visit of His Highness the Amir comes as Johnson seeks to find solutions to the energy crisis that UK is going through as a result of the war in Ukraine, noting that the Qatari-British ties in the field of energy date back more than 20 years and these relations are expected to strengthen in future.
He explained that the situation in Ukraine will also receive a large area of discussion during His Highness the Amir's visit to Britain, with Johnson certain to express his deep gratitude for Qatar's support for refugees as a result of the crisis, pointing out that the two sides will discuss the Qatari role in the Iranian nuclear programme, and the active and influential role that Qatar plays in resolving this stalemate between the two parties.
Law said Qatar has extensive diplomatic experience in resolving major issues and can certainly bring the nuclear agreement negotiations to a much better stage than it is now and communicate to a formula that satisfies all parties and leads to a new agreement that completely closes this file.
Law expects trade co-operation between Qatar and UK to be one of the most prominent issues on the table of talks between the His Highness the Amir and Johnson.
Regarding Qatar's role in Afghanistan, Law said Doha played a pivotal role in evacuating foreign nationals, and this was greatly welcomed by the world.
Senior gas analyst at S&P Global Platts, James Huckstepp, stressed Qatar's diverse international relations made it an important player in all issues in the Middle East and even in the world at large.
Huckstepp expressed his appreciation of Qatar's project to raise the production of the North Field to 126mn tonnes over the next five years, stressing this decision indicates Qatar's strong vision of the factors surrounding the world gas market.
Huckstepp also praised Qatar's permanent vision of the need to insulate the energy issue from political strife, as its one of the most important issues globally and has negative effects on societies.
Huckstepp added that the energy issue will be of great importance during His Highness the Amir's visit to Britain, as well as during his entire European tour, given the circumstances surrounding this issue, which escalated as a result of the war in Ukraine.
He pointed out that there is a clear Qatari desire to diversify relations with Europe and to include all economic, trade and investment fields, not just the energy issue, pointing to the Rolls-Royce project in which Qatar has entered into direct investment, which aims to produce clean energy through small nuclear reactors.
