Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani expressed his country’s readiness to elevate the relations with Iran to the strategic level.
In a meeting on the sidelines of the 6th summit of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA) in Kazakhstan’s Astana on Thursday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the emir of Qatar weighed plans to enhance the relations between Tehran and Doha, particularly the economic and trade ties.
Voicing Qatar’s readiness to implement plans for establishing strategic relations with Iran, the emir said a commercial attaché has been appointed to the Embassy of Qatar in Tehran in order to facilitate trade ties with the Islamic Republic.
He also appreciated Iran’s cooperation in preparing the ground for the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani also stressed Iran’s right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, saying the irony in the international arena is that a leading opponent of Iran’s right to nuclear energy is a regime that owns the most dangerous nuclear weapons and arsenals.
For his part, the Iranian president hailed a 35-percent rise in the trade relations between Iran and Qatar in the past year.
Raisi also noted that the two Muslim nations have good capacities for the enhancement of relations and cooperation.
In a meeting with the Qatari emir, held in Tehran in May, Raisi described the capacities available in Tehran and Doha as a suitable ground for meeting the regional challenges. “The Islamic Republic of Iran has proved its friendship to friends and brothers in difficult times, including Qatar,” he added.
