DOHA: Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, Qatar’s prime minister and minister of foreign affairs, met with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock on Thursday to talk bilateral cooperation, Qatar News Agency reported.
The two sides discussed boosting relations in various fields, including energy, the environment and education, as well as a number of regional security issues.
They reviewed the stabilization of the ceasefire in Gaza and the provision of aid to the Palestinian people, with Sheikh Mohammed reiterating Qatar’s condemnation of the bombing of civilians in the Gaza Strip.
He also welcomed the agreement reached in Jeddah between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, while affirming Qatar’s respect for Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.
The prime minister said Qatar does not wish to break from the Arab consensus on Syria’s readmission to the Arab League, as long as each country maintains its sovereign decision on restoring relations with the government in Damascus. He said Doha believes the only way to normalize relations with the Syrian regime will be through finding fair and comprehensive solutions to Syria’s issues, including the safe return of refugees, and a political outcome based on UN resolution no. 2254.
Sheikh Mohammed also touched on coordination between Gulf Cooperation Council countries, in addition to Egypt, Jordan, and Iraq on Syria. He emphasized that the difference was in the stances rather than goals, stressing that differing perspectives on how to attain those goals was common.
Highlighting QatarEnergy’s recent agreement with a group of German companies to provide energy, Sheikh Mohammed said Qatar looks forward to further progress in the energy field and energy transition policies. He said that energy transition is a global priority, but that standards may be different from one country to the other.
Baerbock praised bilateral relations between the two countries and said that both sides agreed to strengthen cooperation by forming a new strategic dialogue.
The discussions covered a wide range of political and economic topics, as well as peace, stability, and the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
Baerbock said that Doha and Berlin will cooperate to secure energy supplies, adding that the two countries are keen for this economic partnership to succeed. She also called for expanding global cooperation in the renewable energy sector.
The German foreign minister thanked Qatar for its repatriation operation in Afghanistan, lauding the country’s developments in the field of human rights.
Baerbock also indicated that Germany seeks to organize and strengthen European relations with the GCC, as well as its need for new foreign investments based on fair rules, the rule of law, the rules of the World Trade Organization and the UN, in order for those investments to be reliable and sustainable.
