French Ambassador to Qatar Affirms His Country’s Keenness to Enhance Cooperation with Qatar in All Fields

Doha: HE Ambassador of the French Republic to the State of Qatar, Jean-Baptiste Favre affirmed his country's keenness to enhance cooperation with Qatar in all fields, noting that relations between the two countries have reached the stage of strategic partnership and cooperation at various levels. In a press conference held on the occasion of Frances's National Day, His Excellency said that the best reflection of the renewed strength of the strategic partnership between France and Qatar was HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani' state visit to France last February, pointing that "the visit has strengthened our ties even more and paved the way for an ambitious French-Qatari roadmap for the years to come." His Excellency highlighted the exchange of high-level visits between the two countries, during the past years, most notably the visits of HH the Amir to France and the visits of HE President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron to Qatar. HE the French Ambassador valued the Qatari-French strategic, wh ich is an important mechanism to enhance fruitful and constructive cooperation between the two countries and to reach an agreement on a joint action plan for the coming years. "Two strategic dialogues have taken place and we are getting ready for the third one in the coming months in Paris," he pointed. His Excellency expressed his country's appreciation for Qatar's contribution to securing the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, affirming that this step reflects the strategic security cooperation between the two countries, especially as Qatar has gained extensive experience in organizing and securing major events, particularly after hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. Furthermore, HE Ambassador Jean-Baptiste Favre highlighted the significant role that Qatar plays and its mediation efforts in various regional and international issues, including its continuous efforts to achieve a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of hostages and prisoners through diplomatic solutions. "France is supporting Qatar's effort s to get a deal that would secure the release of all the hostages an immediate and sustainable ceasefire and that could lead to a political solution," he stressed. "I would like to commend Qatar's participation to the Peace Summit last June in Switzerland as well as the Qatari mediation efforts which led to the return of Ukrainian children to their families," he added. On the two countries' bilateral cooperation relations, His Excellency stressed that the cooperation between the State of Qatar and France is diverse and covers all political, economic, cultural and diplomatic fields, which reflects a shared resolve to cooperate in strengthening relations at all levels. In this context, His Excellency noted the importance of economic cooperation between the two countries, which he said has risen to very advanced levels, especially with the growth of Qatari investments in France and French investments in Qatar. He pointed that mutual investments benefit both countries, in a way that achieves the goals of Qatar National Vision 2030 and the French National Plan 2030 with regard to the energy, smart transportation, artificial intelligence and health. HE Ambassador of the French Republic to the State of Qatar, Jean-Baptiste Favre pointed out that the two countries are always working to discuss possible opportunities to further advance economic and trade relations and joint investments, building on a long legacy of outstanding relations between them. He also commended the two countries' continuously evolving cooperation in the education and culture sectors. Source: Qatar News Agency