DOHA: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani concluded on Thursday a successful tour that included Australia and New Zealand, where he held meetings with prime ministers and several ministers of both countries, discussing means to develop and enhance cooperation in various fields.
The meetings also addressed regional and international issues of common concern, particularly the developments in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories.
In Canberra, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs met separately with Prime Minister of Australia HE Anthony Albanese, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense HE Richard Marles and Minister for Foreign Affairs HE Penny Wong.
During the meetings, they reviewed the relations between the two countries and discussed ways to support and enhance them at the defense level and in the areas of economy, mutual investment, energy, aviation, trade, clean energy, and technology.
The meetings also discussed several regional and international issues, particularly the developments in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories, mediation efforts aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement in the Strip and the release of prisoners and detainees, and ways to reduce tensions in the Middle East to enhance regional and international security and stability, as well as the latest developments in Afghanistan.
The Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, during his meeting with the Australian Prime Minister, expressed Qatar's appreciation for Australia's positions in supporting regional and international efforts aimed at achieving peace and stability in the region.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense of Australia expressed his country's appreciation for Qatar's support of regional and international efforts to achieve security and stability in the Middle East.
The Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs, in turn, expressed her country's support for mediation efforts aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement in the Gaza Strip. She also thanked the State of Qatar for its efforts in repatriating Australian citizens stranded during the COVID-19 pandemic via Qatar Airways, in addition to its role in evacuating Australians from Afghanistan and the Gaza Strip.
In Wellington, the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs met separately with Prime Minister of New Zealand HE Christopher Luxon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Winston Peters and Minister for Trade and Export Growth and Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Todd McClay.
During the meetings, the relations between the two countries and ways to support and develop them, economic cooperation, investment opportunities in the aviation, energy and investment sectors, cooperation in the fields of clean energy, technology research and international development, and enhancing trade exchange were reviewed.
The meetings also discussed the developments in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories, especially the humanitarian situation in the Strip, and Qatar's mediation efforts aimed at ending the war in Gaza.