Mayor of Rotterdam Ahmed Aboutaleb affirmed that the visit of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to the Netherlands is a great opportunity to enhance bilateral cooperation, and it comes at the right time, as there are many global developments, and in the Middle East in particular, that are important to discuss. Speaking to Qatar News Agency , He said that this visit is important to strengthen bilateral relations, expressing hope that there will be more cooperation to diversify economic relations between the two countries. He added that Qatar is a strategic partner for the Netherlands in the field of energy. Qatar is also a crucial mediator in various global conflicts, playing a significant role as a mediator in Western countries. In this context, he explained that Qatar is the largest exporter of energy to the Netherlands and Europe, and the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands mainly hosts a significant amount of Qatari gas, making Qatar an extremely important strategic partner in the energy sect or. Regarding QatarEnergy's signing of two long-term sale and purchase agreements in Oct. 2023 to supply up to 3.5 million tons per year of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the Netherlands, he said that QatarEnergy plays an important role in relations not only with the Netherlands but also with Europe, as the energy they import from QatarEnergy is not only allocated for the Dutch market but also other European markets, adding that they have pipelines from Rotterdam to Germany. On potential cooperation opportunities between the two countries, the Mayor of Rotterdam pointed out that the Netherlands possesses advanced technology in food production even under harsh conditions, pointing out that Qatar is moving towards further economic diversification, indicating that there are many areas of collaboration, such as the economy, culture, technology, knowledge development, building smart cities, and also in education. Regarding imports from Qatar to his country, Aboutaleb revealed that they mainly consist of energy and LNG, expressing belief that it is important for the Netherlands to export food products, as well as machinery for industry and industrial activities. Aboutaleb pointed out that the Netherlands does not have a free zone, because, in his opinion, the entire country functions as a free zone. He explained that if the municipality signs an agreement with a certain entity, it is considered binding, which fosters significant trust in the government and enhances companies' confidence in the investment system. He added that he would never support the concept of a free zone because companies in free zones hardly pay taxes; they are exempt from paying taxes for five or 10 years, or maybe longer. He added they have Shell, which invests in Qatar in the gas sector, as Qatar has an attractive investment environment. At the conclusion of his interview with QNA, the Mayor of Rotterdam praised the progress made by Qatar, particularly after hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, describing it as "wonderful," highlighting advancements in construction and architecture, as well as in culture and openness to the world, pointing out that Qatar has a story to tell the world. Source: Qatar News Agency
Related Posts
Tamkeen launches second phase of the Cloud Innovation Center Programme in collaboration with Bahrain Polytechnic
Manama, The Labour Fund (Tamkeen), in partnership with Bahrain Polytechnic, announced the launch of the second phase of its Cloud Innovation Center (CIC) programme. The initiative aims to enhance the cloud computing skills of Bahraini talent and bolst…
Filipi: The West is responsible for what happened in Syria
Prague, The Former Czech ambassador in Damascus, Eva Filipi, stressed that the West bears responsibility for what happened to Syria.
‘There are amazingly young and wonderful people in Syria who have sincere national goals, but the West supported the …
WHO announces mobilization of its capabilities to treat the wounded of the Mawasi Khan Yunis massacre
Geneva – Ma’an – The Director-General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that the organization and its partners are responding to the injuries resulting from the series of (Israeli) airstrikes on the Al-Mawasi area in K…