Qatar

Doha - Information Office - October 27

HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani praised the relations between the State of Qatar and the Federal Republic of Austria, describing these relations as distinguished and based on mutual gain.

HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs congratulated the government and people of the Federal Republic of Austria on the occasion of the National Day, which falls on October 26, wishing that this year will be full of achievements, progress and prosperity.

This came during the press conference HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs held today with HE Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of Austria Michael Linhart, currently on a visit to the country.

HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani also praised the relations of friendship between Qatar and Austria, noting that these relations have witnessed a remarkable development in various fields since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1975.

HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs said that he shares with HE the Austrian Minister visions regarding the development of the bilateral relations, especially in the economic areas and strengthening trade partnership between the two countries; adding that the two sides have agreed during their meeting on working together in order to promote the mutual investments in various economic sectors, mainly in technology and renewable energy. In this context, HE stressed that the two countries will exchange visits in order to explore cooperation opportunities in these fields.

HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said that he discussed with HE Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of Austria Michael Linhart the latest developments in the international arena, including those related to the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the Iranian nuclear agreement, and the latest developments in Afghanistan.

HE noted the position of the State of Qatar towards the Gulf Cooperation Council, affirming the support of the State of Qatar, represented by HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, to the Gulf Cooperation Council and to what was agreed upon in the Al-Ula Declaration. HE extended thanks to HE the Austrian Minister for supporting these outcomes.

On Afghanistan, HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said that he discussed at length the current situation in Afghanistan in its political, security, economic and social aspects with HE Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of Austria Michael Linhart, stressing that the State of Qatar understands and shares with the international bodies their views and concerns regarding this file.

HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign said that the State of Qatar will work closely with all friendly and brotherly countries to enhance stability in Afghanistan and address the developments there with the aim of preserving the gains of the brotherly Afghan people.

HE valued the role of the Republic of Austria in achieving international security and stability as well as its humanitarian role, looking forward to working together and continuing consultations in various fields.

On the Qatari mediation efforts in Afghanistan, HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs noted that the Qatari mediation went through several stages, beginning with the mediation between the United States and the Taliban, and then between the Taliban and the Afghan government, indicating that the previous talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government did not produce results unfortunately.

However, HE added, the State of Qatar is now working to unite the international community by engaging in a constructive dialogue with the Taliban and encouraging it and other Afghan forces to reach a solution to achieve stability in Afghanistan. "We encourage a national reconciliation process led by Afghanistan, and the State of Qatar will spare no effort to support these efforts," HE said.

HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs stressed the importance of unifying international visions and communicating on this file, noting that the State of Qatar seeks to facilitate this communication in order to achieve tangible results, especially with regard to humanitarian problems suffered by the Afghan people.

He noted that he had held many meetings, whether with officials of international organizations or officials from the United States and the European Union, to discuss the concerns of the international community and try to reach reassurances and solutions that would contribute positively to achieving stability in Afghanistan.

HE called on his counterparts of foreign ministers to engage in Afghanistan and not abandoning it.

"Since we have agreed to help Afghanistan and alleviate the difficulties of the humanitarian situation there, humanitarian aid should not be politicized and not be linked to any obligation for which the government is responsible. We cannot punish the people of Afghanistan because of the presence of certain forces in power," HE continued, stressing that this is Qatar's firm position on Afghanistan.

In a related context, HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani reiterated Qatar's position on recognizing the Taliban government, indicating that recognition of the Taliban government is not a priority for the State of Qatar, but rather an engagement.

HE underlined that engagement is the only way forward, and that Afghanistan cannot be isolated or ignored, nor can the suffering of the Afghan people. "Rather, we should extend a helping hand and not repeat the mistake of abandoning and boycotting Afghanistan due to the lack of an agreement with the current government," HE added, indicating that engagement will achieve positive and constructive results.

On the nuclear agreement with Iran, HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani called on the parties to the agreement to return to negotiations as soon as possible, and try to reach an agreement that contributes to establishing security and peace in the region.

In another context, HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign condemned Israel's policy of expanding settlements and its escalation against the Palestinian people and depriving them of their basic rights, considering that this policy is a major breach and a violation of the rights of the Palestinians.

"Unfortunately, we see that the international community is dealing with this situation with double standards. We hope that all countries will stand up and raise their voice against these violations that are being practiced against the Palestinian people, which represent a continuation of the provocative operations," HE said, stressing that the continuation of this situation would undermine hope for any future peace process.

"If the Israelis are serious about engaging in a peace process, they must stop all these provocations against the Palestinian people, and stop the expansion of settlements and the expulsion of Palestinians and eviction them by force from their cities and homes," he continued.

For his part, HE Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of Austria Michael Linhart emphasized the strong relations between his country and the State of Qatar, describing these relations as excellent.

HE the Austrian Minister said that the bilateral relations and strengthening and promoting them were a main focus of his discussions in Doha, along with a number of international issues.

"The State of Qatar is a very important economic partner, and we are keen to strengthen our partnerships and economic relations with it, especially at this stage in which we are trying to overcome the repercussions of the coronavirus and restore momentum to the Austrian economy," HE the Minister added, referring to a number of Austrian companies in the Qatari market that contribute to infrastructure projects, especially those related to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

On the developments in Afghanistan, HE Federal Minister for European and International Affairs of Austria Michael Linhart praised the role carried out by the State of Qatar in the Afghan file, stressing that the Republic of Austria appreciates the pivotal role carried out by the State of Qatar in the Afghan arena.

He noted that the European Union has laid specific foundations for dealing with the Taliban, "but the developments are heading in the wrong direction," he said. However, he stressed the need to continue working to help the Afghan people, ensure the preservation of human rights and women's rights, and prevent Afghanistan from becoming a safe haven for terrorism.

He underlined the keenness to provide aid to the Afghan people, noting that Austria has provided humanitarian aid worth 20 million euros, and will continue the support in partnership with friends in the European Union.

On the other hand, HE the Austrian Minister noted that his meeting with HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs touched on the latest developments in the Gulf region, stressing the importance of the stability of the region for the security of Europe.

He said that his country is ready to host any talks that contribute to building confidence in a way that contributes to the security and stability of the region.

In response to a question about Israel's decision to build more settlements in the occupied territories, HE the Austrian Minister said that he would discuss this issue during his visit to Israel, and underlined that the most important thing is the resumption of the peace process, stressing Europe's readiness to play a constructive role in this context.