Doha - Media & Communication Dept. - February 21

Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Majed bin Mohammad Al Ansari, affirmed that Qatar's relief operations through various assistance to the earthquake victims in Turkiye and northern Syria are continuing, pointing out that the number of air bridge flights to Turkiye has reached 40 so far, with two flights per day.
In the weekly media briefing organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at its headquarters today, he indicated that 1,260 housing units have been shipped so far to the affected areas, adding that work is underway to load and transport 4,845 units during the current and next week, out of a total of 10,000 mobile homes allocated by the State of Qatar for those affected by the earthquake disaster. He indicated that Education City and Aspire Park provided more than 50 units of mobile toilets for those affected.
Al Ansari noted the contribution of the Qatari Armed Forces in transporting urgent aid from Jordan and Germany via air transport planes of the Qatari Emiri Air Force (QEAF) to Turkiye, in addition to the continued support of the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) to the operations of the Syrian Civil Defense (the White Helmets) in order to rescue and relief the earthquake victims in Syria, and to assist the search and rescue teams. He also pointed out that seven units of large tents, along with all their requirements, are being transferred to the affected people, indicating that these tents will be used as large shelters and hospitals for the largest possible number of affected people.
In the same context, Al Ansari pointed out that the supplies of Qatari charities continue to provide aid to the Syrian interior and Turkiye, as the number of beneficiaries in Syria exceeded 1,300,000 people, and in Turkiye more than 350,000 people, confirming the continuation of efforts to help the earthquake victims in the affected areas.
On the other hand, Advisor to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs revealed that the first strategic dialogue sessions between Qatar and Britain had started in the United Kingdom with the aim of strengthening and deepening the partnership between the two countries. He pointed out that a fruitful meeting was held between HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani and HE Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom James Cleverly, in which a memorandum of understanding was signed regarding the establishment of strategic dialogue between the two countries, noting that strategic dialogues are the highest form of coordination with Qatar's strategic partners abroad.
He pointed out that the consultations between the two countries dealt with various fields, not only the political aspects, but also the commercial, investment and security aspects, by discussing defense and counter-terrorism issues and others, in addition to climate change, energy issues, and various cultural, developmental and educational fields, which shape the relationship between Qatar and the United Kingdom.
He explained that on the sidelines of the strategic dialogue session between the two countries, the two foreign ministers held a meeting, in which they discussed various partnership issues, in addition to the importance of the peace process in the Middle East, and relief work after the devastating earthquake in Turkiye and Syria, as well as the developments in the Horn of Africa.
He explained that the strategic dialogue between the two countries will be held annually to regulate the relationship and enhance its various aspects, affirming that Qatar always seeks to make these strategic dialogues an opportunity for cooperation and building effective partnerships.
On the other hand, Al Ansari revealed an upcoming visit of HE Assistant Foreign Minister for Regional Affairs Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi to Washington, to attend a meeting on Libyan affairs, noting that the State of Qatar attaches great importance to the people in the State of Libya, and that attending this meeting confirms the importance of the Libyan file to the State of Qatar. His Excellency will also meet several officials at the US State Department during his visit, he added.
Al Ansari stated that the main objective of the visit is to coordinate positions on the possibility of reaching a consensus in the Libyan situation, affirming the support for the Qatari position to reach the elections, as it is the only way to achieve stability in Libya.