The State of Qatar is investing its friendly relations with world nations in promoting cooperation to build bridges between peoples and countries. It was the wisdom of Qatari leadership and their insightful vision that made the country host the Taliban’s political office for nearly a decade thus opened channels of communication with the movement and facilitated further talks between many warring parties in Afghanistan including the United States.
The visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Italian Republic, H E Luigi Di Maio, is a valuable occasion that pushes forward the solid bilateral relations between the State of Qatar and the Republic of Italy opening more fields and horizons to expand and strengthen bilateral ties.
Amir H H Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani received H E Luigi Di Maio yesterday and the accompanying delegation and reviewed bilateral relations between the two countries and means to support them.
The Italian Minister expressed his country’s thanks and appreciation to H H the Amir for the State of Qatar’s role and efforts in facilitating the evacuation of Italian citizens from Afghanistan.
Similar meetings of the Italian minister were also held with other Qatari officials including the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and Minister of Commerce and Industry and Acting Minister of Finance, H E Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari.
Qatar has well-positioned itself to be a centre of contact for regional and international players who want to explore possibility of engaging with the Taliban in light of the new situation in Afghanistan. Doha has long been a venue for engagement and became the centre of diplomatic activity with respect to Afghan issue for over a decade.
Therefore many diplomats frequently visit Doha, in particular following the rapid change of the situation in Afghanistan and the Taliban’s takeover of the entire country; where many countries engaged in intensive airlift for their citizens and Afghans form Kabul.
Italy, like many other Western countries and the European Union, which have closed their missions in Kabul, will use Doha as a hub for its diplomatic engagement with Afghanistan. Italy has also a plan to move its Afghan embassy to Doha, the latest indication of Western diplomats setting up permanently outside Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban takeover.
The Qatari-Italian relations, since opening of embassies in the capitals of the two countries in 1992, are witnessing rapid and solid development in all fields and both countries turned ties into strategic partnership, thanks to the keenness of the leaderships of the two countries to serve the aspirations and common interests of their friendly peoples.
