London: Qatar and the United Kingdom agreed to continue progress on areas of ongoing and regular collaboration and to review progress through the Strategic Dialogue at least once a year, looking forward to concluding the Strategic Dialogue Sessions and reviewing their progress at the next Strategic Dialogue, planned for Doha in 2024.
The Joint Communique for the first Strategic Dialogue Between the two countries, which kicked off in London, UK, indicated that the two countries agreed to continue progress on areas of ongoing and regular collaboration through official level engagements, including on defense and security, energy, regional security, trade and investment, humanitarian and development assistance, the human rights agenda, science and innovation, and health and education.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, H E Rt Hon James Cleverly MP, launched the first annual Qatar-UK Strategic Dialogue in London on February 20, 2023, in celebration of the robust and expanding bilateral relationship.
The two Ministers agreed to continue progress on areas of ongoing and regular collaboration through official level engagements, including on defense and security, energy, regional security, trade and investment, humanitarian and development assistance, the human rights agenda, science and innovation, health and education. To underline this, Qatar and the United Kingdom signed an MoU to launch the Strategic Dialogue, a new platform to deepen cooperation.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani thanked the UK for its security partnership in preparation for and during the tournament. The United Kingdom is committed to building on this cooperation and supporting the State of Qatar as it seeks to sustain a positive tournament legacy, encompassing the areas of sports economy, tourism, and labor reforms.
Both Ministers discussed opportunities for shared prosperity through investment in sectors aligned with mutual priorities, including clean technologies, life sciences, biotech, agri-tech and EVs/battery technology, which will be advanced under the established Qatar-UK Strategic Investment Partnership.
The Ministers also recognised the positive potential of further discussion on future Typhoon partnership and cooperation on counterterrorism.
The two Ministers reiterated their respective countries’ commitment to the sovereignty of Ukraine. In addressing Iran, they emphasised dialogue and diplomacy as the only route to regional security and stability.
On humanitarian crises, political transition, and natural disaster responses in Afghanistan, Turkiye, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Libya and the Horn of Africa, both sides outlined their ongoing commitments to distressed and vulnerable populations, including refugees, IDPs, women, and girls. Assessing developments in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the two Ministers reaffirmed their support for a Two-State Solution, based on 1967 lines and with Jerusalem as the shared capital, as the only way to ensure a just and lasting peace. Qatar and the UK strongly support the historic Status Quo governing holy sites in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including Jerusalem.
