Qatari Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani has welcomed the Egyptian President upon his arrival at Hamad International Airport on Tuesday evening, reports Asian Lite Newsdesk
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi arrived in Doha, the capital of Qatar, for a two-day visit, the first-of-its-kind in four years.
Qatari Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani led well-wishers to welcome President Sisi upon his arrival and the accompanying delegation to the Amiri Terminal of Hamad International Airport on Tuesday evening.
“The visit, that is made after a four-year rift between the two countries, comes upon an invitation by the Qatari emir,” the Egyptian presidency office said in a statement Tuesday.
“The two leaders will discuss the most important aspects of bilateral relations between the two countries. They will also hold consultations and coordination on various regional and international issues of common interest, which require concerted efforts to safeguard Arab national security,” the statement added.
Qatari News Agency on Monday described the visit as marking “a new era in relations between the two Arab countries”.
The President and the accompanying delegation were also welcomed upon arrival by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Chief of Amiri Diwan Sheikh Saoud bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, Minister of Commerce and Industry Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Qassim Al-Thani, Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the Arab Republic of Egypt Salem bin Mubarak Al Shafi, and HE Ambassador of Egypt to Qatar Amr El-Sherbiny.
The Qatari emir visited Cairo in June. In late March, Cairo and Doha agreed to invest $5 billion in Egypt, Xinhua news agency reported.
In January 2021, the Arab quartet of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain signed the Al-Ula Declaration with Qatar, ending their all-around boycott of Doha since mid-2017.
Envoy lauds visit
Qatar’s Ambassador to Egypt and Permanent Representative to the Arab League Salem Mubarak Al Shafi affirmed the significance of the visit reflects the level of excellence that the relations between the two brotherly countries have reached.
In a statement, Al Shafi told Qatar News Agency (QNA) that Sisi’s visit comes within the framework of the positive momentum witnessed in the relations between Doha and Cairo, which culminated in the visit of Sheikh Tamim to Egypt in June, and the summit talks that Amir held with Egyptian President, which focused on ways to enhance the bilateral cooperation in various fields, in addition to regional and international issues and files of mutual interest.
Al Shafi noted that the entire world is undergoing exceptional circumstances, with many lingering conflicts and wars. These challenges require activating the diplomatic role and continuous consultation between the leaderships of the two countries in order to exchange views and discuss the best way to address these issues.
He also commended the level of progress achieved in the Qatari-Egyptian relations since his tenure has begun, noting that this can be seen in the great momentum these relations have gained and the increasing activity at the level of cooperation and consultation, especially after the regular meeting of the follow-up committee between the two countries that was held in the recent past, as well as the mutual visits at the ministerial level and at the level of senior officials.
These visits built the foundations of bilateral relations, paving the way for an expanded future cooperation that achieves the mutual interests of the two countries under the wise leadership of Amir Sheikh Tamim and Egyptian President, Al Shafi added.
Setting sights on broader horizons
The visit of Egyptian President to Doha is of particular importance in terms of its timing, as it comes before the launch of the Arab League Summit in Algeria due in Nov. and the 77th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in New York.
It also coincides with a number of accelerating international developments, particularly with regard to the situation and developments in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine.
These developments require increasing and intensifying consultation and coordination between both countries regarding all developments and various issues affecting Arab security, aspirations and legitimate rights of the brotherly Arab peoples, to achieve Arab unity and regional security and stability, as well as serving Arab interests and positions in various forums and boosting their immunity amid all challenges and dangers, Qatar News Agency reported.