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QNA
Paris
The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani on Friday said Qatar's relations with France were very strong and he was proud of the relationship.
In a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace on Friday, the Amir said his meeting with President Macron tackled a number of regional issues, especially Syria and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
The Amir appreciated the French president's position on the Gulf crisis, his support for Qatar and his affirmation that the crisis can only be resolved through dialogue.
In response to a question about his view of the allegations linking Qatar to terrorism, the Amir said plenty of information and reports that are being circulated against Qatar are not true. The Amir called on everyone to see what Qatar is doing for regional and world peace.
The Amir praised the French people's recognition of Qatar's deeds in France and for the France-Qatar friendship.
On Qatar's purchase of the Russian missile defence system S-400, the Amir said there had been talks, but so far no agreement had been reached.
For his part, the French president described the France-Qatar relations as solid and strategic."Qatar is a reliable partner and a friendly country with an ambition and a vision for the future, which brings the two countries closer," Macron said.
He said France and Qatar are working together firmly against terrorism, especially in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Macron said the meeting discussed combating financing of terrorism and extremism, pointing to the continuation of previous discussions between the two countries, especially during his visit to Qatar in December and the signing of the Declaration of Intent in the field of combating terror financing.
He also referred to Qatar's participation in the conference on combating the financing of terrorism held in Paris last April. Macron praised Qatar's efforts in this field.
Macron said he looks forward to continued strong cooperation between the two countries, especially in the framework of the strategic dialogue which will be conducted under the supervision of the foreign ministers of the two countries.
He reiterated France's support for the Kuwaiti mediation to resolve the Gulf crisis, pointing to the daily suffering of the people of Qatar because of the actions taken against them, especially with regard to separation of families.
Macron stressed the need to resolve the Gulf crisis through dialogue in order to bring stability to the region which is experiencing many tensions, affirming France's continued dialogue with all parties for reconciliation.
He expressed his country's readiness to make an initiative if asked to do so and considered it useful.
Macron said the meeting discussed several issues in the region, especially in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, the peace process in the region and Libya.
He said the Libyan issue is a priority for France and stressed the cooperation between France and Qatar for the stability of Libya.
The French president spoke of a common will to strengthen bilateral relations in various fields, especially economy, culture, higher education and sports. He pointed to the common will to develop sports cooperation against the backdrop of Qatar's hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and the France's hosting of the Olympic Games in 2024.
