Relations between US and Qatar have become stronger than ever and have made advances in 2019 in several areas, said a statement by US Embassy Charge d’Affaires H E William Grant (pictured).
Bilateral relations have enhanced in trade, military cooperation, efforts to combat terrorism, upgrading the skills of law enforcement, higher education, cultural partnerships, and many more areas, the statement said.
“The US is proud to celebrate our friendship and strategic partnership with Qatar. Relations between our governments have never been stronger,” it said.
“Qatar was one of the first countries to join the US-led, anti-ISIS coalition and Qatar provides invaluable support for the Coalition’s efforts to defeat ISIS, hosted at Al Udeid Air Base. Qatari pilots have airlifted over 1.5 million pounds of cargo in direct support of counter-ISIS operations.
“Our trade and investment relationship also hit new highs in 2019. There are over 100 American companies currently operating in Qatar, and the US will continue working with Qatar to bring in even more. The US remains Qatar’s largest import partner and the largest foreign investor in Qatar’s oil and gas sector, and US companies in diverse industry sectors are looking to partner with Qatar on the latest high-tech innovations,” the statement said.
It further added that, President Trump welcomed H H the Amir to the United States in July 2019. Senior US government officials and members of the US Congress consistently visit Qatar, including several Cabinet-level Secretaries, to continue to build on engagement and bilateral cooperation. These visits symbolize the US’ commitment to deepening and broadening our bilateral relationship with our Qatari partners, on all fronts.
“We held the second US-Qatar Strategic Dialogue and third Strategic Dialogue on Counter Terrorism this year, and both sides want to build on those initiatives, not just repeat them. Thousands of students study and receive their degrees from six US universities in Education City, and hundreds more are working towards their degrees in the US,” said the statement.
“It goes without saying that Qatar remains one of the United States’ top partners and allies. Congratulations again to Qatar on its National Day and thank you to the Qatari people for your friendship. I look forward to witnessing new milestones in our relationship in the coming year,” it added.
