The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani held a meeting with HE Lloyd Austin, US Secretary of Defense at the Pentagon this morning.
At the beginning of the meeting, the US Secretary of Defense welcomed His Highness the Amir, noting that the relations between the State of Qatar and the United States of America are strong and strategic and that the United States is committed to making the partnership with Qatar more powerful than it is now.
He also expressed his thanks and appreciation for Qatar's support and continued support to his country in Afghanistan, including the evacuation of more than 124,000 people and the reception of others who left Afghanistan in search of new beginnings. His Excellency the US Secretary of Defense confirmed his previous statement from Doha last September, in which he said it is not an exaggeration that Qatari efforts have saved thousands of lives, and that thanks to Qatar's efforts, Kabul Airport has remained open to aircraft.
For his part, His Highness stressed the depth of the strategic relations that unite Qatar and the United States, describing them as a strong defense partnership, as His Highness affirmed that Qatar supports the operations of the United States in the Middle East by hosting 10,000 American forces in Qatar.
His Highness added that Qatar is proud of its cooperation with the United States of America, expressing his gratitude for the cooperation of the American side and for working together with Qatar to secure the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in a manner that achieves security and stability in the region. His Highness also expressed his pleasure to meet the US Secretary of Defense and exchange views on several issues of common concern, stressing his confidence that the partnership that brings together the two countries will contribute to building a better future in the region.
The meeting also discussed the relations of strategic cooperation between the two countries in the defense, military and security fields, as well as developments in the regional and international situations, especially the joint efforts of the two countries to establish peace and stability in the region.
