Washington: The State of Qatar and the United States have announced several new milestones in 6th Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue.

The milestones include an amendment to the bilateral defence cooperation agreement, a memorandum of cooperation on biometric data-sharing to enhance law enforcement and counterterrorism cooperation, and a MoU to open the first “American Corner” in Qatar since 2014, said the joint statement issued after the dialogue.

A special session dedicated to the FIFA Men’s World Cup centred on event organisation, legacy, and security at the 2022 tournament in Doha - marking the passing of the baton from Qatar to North America ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H E Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani and Secretary of State of the United States of America H E Antony Blinken led the 6th Qatar-US Strategic Dialogue on March 5, 2024, in Washington, D.C.

The topics at this year’s Dialogue highlighted the breadth and depth of the 50 years of Qatar-US relationship, from economic and security cooperation to emerging technology and fostering connections among cities and communities between both countries.

According to joint statement, Qatar and US officials discussed key priorities, including Venezuela, Gaza, Afghanistan, global humanitarian assistance and development, the Horn of Africa, Yemen, and Ukraine. Secretary Blinken expressed his deep appreciation for Qatar’s continued leadership in the region, including important mediation efforts to facilitate humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza and secure the release of hostages, including US citizens, held by Hamas. US and Qatari officials also discussed challenges in Afghanistan and the extraordinary teamwork between the two countries on the relocation to the United States, through Qatar, of thousands of eligible individuals from Afghanistan.

A new US-Qatar agreement in temporary hosting of individuals at risk due to the situation in Afghanistan, announced during the Dialogue, is already enhancing America’s ability to process Afghanistan relocations through Qatar.

The United States expressed gratitude for Qatar’s continued support on the protection of US interests in Afghanistan.

The State of Qatar and the United States shared concerns about instability in the Horn of Africa and the worsening humanitarian situation and continued fighting in Sudan. Both sides underscored their commitment to promoting a negotiated political settlement to the Yemen conflict, while condemning unlawful and destabilising attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.

The State of Qatar and the United States highlighted the strong economic and commercial relations between the two countries and discussed trade and two-way investment, as well as advancing cooperation in the fields of innovation, critical minerals, technology, secure information communications technology, and clean energy.

The State of Qatar and the United States highlighted their strong bilateral security partnership, expressing a desire to build greater collaboration and capacity in aviation and border security, information sharing, countering violent extremism and combating terrorism and the financing of terrorism.

The US expressed its appreciation for robust ongoing counterterrorism coordination between the two countries. To further deepen bilateral law enforcement and counterterrorism cooperation, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Qatari Ministry of Interior committed to signing a new Memorandum of Cooperation on Biometric Data-sharing.

The two governments further strengthened their cooperation and close security partnership under the existing Qatar-US Defence Cooperation Agreement and reaffirmed their commitment to promote peace and stability, counterterrorism, and grow the enduring Qatar-US defence partnership. In this context, the two sides emphasized the strategic significance of Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar for promoting regional peace and stability. They also discussed future upgrades to the base to increase efficiency and sustainability. The delegations also discussed the latest progress in military cooperation, specifically in foreign military sales, military doctrine and intelligence development.

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