ANKARA/DOHA (AA) - TUĞBA ALTUN/ALİ ALTUNKAYA - Qatar's Ambassador to Ankara, Faisal bin Abdullah Al-Henzab, stated that they expect important agreements to be signed between Turkey and Qatar at the 12th Meeting of the High Strategic Committee to be held in Istanbul on November 13, and stated that the cooperation between the two countries will be further strengthened in the fields of economy, defense industry, artificial intelligence and technology.
Ambassador Al-Henzab made evaluations to the AA correspondent regarding Türkiye-Qatar relations, the 12th Meeting of the High Strategic Committee, and regional and international developments.
Al-Henzab stated that the relations between the two countries, which are based on deep-rooted historical and brotherly ties and developed with mutual trust and common political will, have gone beyond traditional political coordination and spread to many areas such as economy, defense and technology.
Al-Henzab stated that the meeting to be held in Istanbul on November 13, co-chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamed Al Thani, will provide important opportunities for the development of bilateral relations, and said, "We expect to sign extremely important agreements and memorandums of understanding in vital cooperation areas. This meeting reflects the determination of the two countries to further their strategic partnerships and create new cooperation opportunities in corporate, economic, defense and technology fields. Partner "We aim to transform our understandings into concrete steps and projects." he said.
Al-Henzab noted that in the current international environment dominated by uncertainties, the coordination between Qatar and Turkey constitutes an important basis in supporting diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions, resolve disputes through peaceful means, and strengthen regional and international security and stability.
"Türkiye's investment potential is much wider than the figures reveal."
Al-Henzab said that they have many investments in Türkiye and continued:
"These investments reflect the great confidence we have in the Turkish economy and financial system. My visits to different Turkish cities and meetings with officials allowed me to see closely the economic diversity and wide investment opportunities that the country has. Türkiye's potential often goes far beyond what the indicators and figures reveal."
Stating that there are important opportunities to increase the trade volume between the two countries and develop mutual investments, Al-Henzab said that industry, infrastructure, construction, technology and financial services are among the priority areas of cooperation; He stated that artificial intelligence, digital transformation, advanced technology and industrial innovation are areas where the two countries can expand their rapport.
Badr Memorandum of Understanding offers important opportunities
Al-Henzab underlined that the "Badr Memorandum of Understanding" signed between Turkey, Qatar, Pakistan and Indonesia offers important opportunities in terms of joint production, technical information sharing and technology development in the defense industry.
Stating that the memorandum creates a framework for cooperation in the fields of defense industry, joint production, technical expertise sharing and research and development, Al-Henzab said, "This memorandum can enable each country to benefit from the advantages and expertise it has in the fields of industry, engineering and technology. Sharing research and development costs can contribute to increasing knowledge transfer and expanding access opportunities to new markets." he said.
Stating that Qatar continues its mediation efforts against the tension between the USA and Iran and the developments in Gaza, Al-Henzab emphasized that diplomatic coordination with Türkiye is important for regional stability.
Al-Henzab said, "Qatar's stance on this issue is clear and unchanging. Our country always invests in peace, diplomacy and rapprochement of the parties' views. We believe that wars do not bring permanent solutions to disputes, and the expansion of conflicts threatens the security and stability of the region, causing great harm to peoples and economies." he said.
Stating that Turkey and Qatar's communication channels with many regional and international actors contribute to diplomatic efforts, Al-Henzab said, "The two countries have a suitable basis to strengthen coordination regarding current developments, thanks to their extensive regional and international relations, communication channels with different parties and experience in the field of mediation." made his assessment.
"The priority in Gaza is to fully implement the ceasefire agreement"
Regarding the developments in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, Al-Henzab said that Israel's violations and failure to fulfill its obligations arising from the ceasefire agreement have deepened the humanitarian crisis in the region.
Al-Henzab pointed out that the ceasefire agreement must be fully implemented in order to ensure permanent stability in Gaza, and said, "What happened in Gaza and the West Bank cannot be evaluated separately from the ongoing Israeli violations and the occupation forces' avoidance of fulfilling their obligations under the ceasefire agreement. This situation prevents the transition to the recovery and reconstruction phase, while causing the continued humanitarian suffering of civilians." he said.
Stating that the implementation of the current agreement should be the basis, regardless of the political situation that emerged after the elections in Israel, Al-Henzab said, "Regardless of how the political developments in Israel will result, the priority today is to respect the agreement and fulfill its obligations, away from political calculations." he said.
Efforts to make the ceasefire permanent continue
Ambassador Al-Henzab underlined that Qatar, in coordination with its partners, especially Turkey, continues its diplomatic efforts to make the ceasefire permanent, implement all provisions of the agreement, open the border gates and deliver humanitarian aid in a safe, regular and unhindered manner, and said that they are also working to create the necessary conditions for the reconstruction of Gaza and to restart a serious political process that will enable a fair and lasting peace to be achieved.
Al-Henzab said that beyond intervening in urgent humanitarian needs, they should also work to re-establish basic living conditions in Gaza, protect the Palestinian people's right to live in dignity and safety, and build a future dominated by peace and stability.
Stating that the partnership between Turkey and Qatar has gained importance at this point, Al-Henzab emphasized that the political and humanitarian coordination of the two countries offers important opportunities for mobilizing international support and strengthening cooperation with international organizations.
"Türkiye's hosting of COP31 shows its international position"
Regarding the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the United Nations (UN) Framework Convention on Climate Change held in Antalya, Al-Henzab stated that Türkiye's hosting of such an important international organization shows the country's global position and organizational capacity, and said, "The hosting of this conference by the sister Republic of Turkey confirms its position in the international arena and its capacity to manage this organization of global importance in the fight against climate change." he said.
Noting that the conference is an important stage in strengthening international cooperation and sustainable development in the fight against climate change, Al-Henzab added that Qatar sees environmental protection and sustainable development as a common responsibility and continues to take an active role in international climate negotiations.
