The Third Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue will start today in Washington. A high level session will be co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and US Secretary of State H E Mike Pompeo, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has said.
The dialogue deals with areas of cooperation in politics, economy, culture, education, energy, health, mediation and combating terrorism, said the MoFA in a tweet yesterday. The first Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue was held in Washington in January 2018 while the second Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue was held in Doha in January 2019.
The infographic shared with the tweet further says that the dialogue witnesses announcing a number of cultural, economic and educational partnerships. It also witnesses signing a Memoranda of Understanding and letters of intent related to culture, development and economy.
The strategic dialogue aims to discuss ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries in various fields and to develop the special bilateral relations that depend on common interests and mutual respect.
The State of Qatar will stress during the dialogue the need to reach a just and comprehensive solution to the Palestinian issue, the Ministry further said in the tweet. On the eve of Third Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue, Qatar Embassy in the US yesterday tweeted that Qatar and the US have long been partners in diplomacy, defence and the economy with nearly 50 years of growing diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The Embassy further revealed in an infographic that Qatar has $185bn economic partnership with the US companies with plans to double this number. In another tweet, the Qatar Embassy in the US said that Qatar has created one of the most competitive economies in the world. “We take pride in not just being one of the top 10 most innovative and educated societies, but also #1 in terms of safety and security.”
Qatar has ranked third in the world for economic performance in 2019 and in Entrepreneurship Focus, Qatar is first in the Arab world. The country is also among the top 10 in the world for the growth of innovative companies. The education system of Qatar has ranked fourth globally while Qatar’s healthcare facilities have been ranked fifth best globally.
Qatar has also been ranked as the safest country in the world for the fifth year in a row. Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) provides an excellent platform for firms to do business in Qatar and the region. The QFC allows 100 percent foreign ownership, 100 percent repatriation of profits, and charges a competitive rate of 10 percent tax on locally sourced profits.
The QFC welcomes a broad range of financial and non-financial services firms. Similarly, Qatar Free Zones Authority allows 100 percent ownership, 20 year corporate tax holidays, zero customs duties and other incentives.
Qatar Science and Technology Park allows 100 percent ownership, zero customs duties, mentorship and training, no restrictions on repatriation of capital, profits and salaries in any currency and other incentives
