Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani with President of the Republic of Slovenia H E Borut Pahor in Ljubljana, yesterday.
ljubljana: Qatar called for international consensus on what should be done in Afghanistan and urged the Afghan government to show its commitment to engaging all parties without discrimination and ensuring rights, especially the rights of girls and women.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani affirmed his country’s keenness on the necessity of avoiding a collapse in Afghanistan.
Sheikh Mohammed was speaking in a joint press conference with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia H E Dr. Anze Logar yesterday in Ljubljana.
He called on the countries to participate in the humanitarian efforts towards Afghanistan, pointing out the need for the world to see serious steps in the field of combating terrorism from the Afghan side and dealing with Afghans instead of isolating them.
On the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on the Iranian nuclear issue, Sheikh Mohammed affirmed Qatar’s position calling for a resumption of dialogue between the parties at the earliest opportunity. He said that the State of Qatar welcomes positive steps in this regard, stressing the need for the region to be free of nuclear activities.
He pointed out that the Qatari-Slovenian talks discussed the peace process in the Middle East, underlining Qatar’s clear position based on the two-state solution, ending the occupation, and establishing the State of Palestine on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs praised the bilateral relations between Qatar and Slovenia, expressing his happiness to meet the President of the Republic of Slovenia, the Prime Minister, and the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Interior.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said that the discussions in Ljubljana were fruitful and dealt with the exchange of views on the most prominent regional and international issues, pointing to the important role of the Republic of Slovenia as the current president of the European Union. Also, he praised the Slovenian community in the State of Qatar, which despite its small number contributes effectively to the process of construction and development.
Sheikh Mohammed expressed Qatar’s aspiration to develop economic, trade, and investment relations between the two countries, pointing to the visit of the Qatari trade delegation to Slovenia early next year to explore and evaluate opportunities, especially in the fields of energy, technology, renewable energy, and information technology.
Anze Logar welcomed the visit of H E Sheikh Mohammed to his country, expressing optimism about the results of the talks that took place today and his aspiration to develop bilateral relations between the two countries.
He said that the discussions focused on developing bilateral relations by strengthening economic cooperation, stressing the need to continue holding such meetings and sustaining discussions between the two countries. He pointed out that he presented Slovenia’s presidential plan to Sheikh Mohammed, which would advance common interest and develop bilateral cooperation.
Logar added that the discussions also touched on the important issues that the State of Qatar participates in and contributes to, including the nuclear agreement negotiations, the Afghan issue, and the peace process in the Middle East.
Logar stressed the need to adhere to the moral duty to continue supporting the Afghan people, expressing his appreciation for the efforts of the State of Qatar in the Afghan file.
He announced the agreement to hold the second meeting of the joint committee between the two countries to promote trade and investments in the fields of energy, tourism, communications, information technology, and the environment, expressing aspiration to discuss more opportunities with the Qatari trade delegation that will visit Slovenia in early 2022.
Logar said that the comprehensive agreement on air transport with the European Union, signed between the State of Qatar and the EU in Luxembourg, paved the way for a new phase of cooperation in the field of air transport between both parties, pointing to new areas of cooperation between the State of Qatar and the European Union in near future.
