Foreign relations of Qatar
Encyclopedia
Qatar
achieved full independence on 3 September 1971 in an atmosphere of cooperation with the United Kingdom
, the United States of America and friendship with neighbouring states. Most Arab states were also among the first countries to recognise Qatar, and the state promptly gained admittance to the United Nations
and the Arab League
. Qatar established diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union
, and Communist China
in 1988. Qatar was also an early member of OPEC
and a founding member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
, has lately been going on an expansive boost to promote Qatar as a foreign player. The first major move in this regard was the founding of Al-Jazeera.
In addition to revolutionising the free media in the Middle East and indeed the rest of the world, the Qatar funded Qatar Airways
has gone on an aggressive expansion, which also competes with nearby Emirates Airline
, to reach more destinations and serve more passengers.
The hosting of the Asian games
in Doha
was also another boost to the state which, like the Asian games in Delhi, helped infrastructure, as well as boosting the state's profile. Furthermore, the signing of major international sports stars like Gabriel Batistuta
have helped give Qatar an image boost. Players like Sebastián Soria
and Márcio Emerson Passos
have been granted Qatari citizenship to boost their soccer
team.
The first big coup for the Qatari government was hosting a major round of trade talks that resulted in what is referred to as the Doha Round. Although it was just a preliminary measure it has got the name of the state out, much like a marketing gimmick
.
The major coup for the Qatari government was solving the Lebanese political crisis
. The meeting ended with the Doha Agreement. This was a major breakthrough as more than a year of political wrangling could not yield an agreement despite pressure from the West and the [collective] Arab League
.
Qatar hosted peace talks between Jem and the Khartoum government announced an agreement on confidence-building measures. "There has been great progress ... and we now have an agreement," Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Al-Thani, the Qatari prime minister, said.
Of late, the Emirate has been tremendously active in the global realm. The Sudanese government and the strongest Darfur rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement, also signed an agreement in Doha. While Doha also took a tough stand in the reaction to the Israeli invasion of Gaza. Following this reaction and apparent closeness with Iran the 2009 Arab League summit
in Doha was met with further controversy although Qatar was seen as emerging further with the follow-up Arab-Latin American (Latam) summit.
On 4 May 2009, the Qatari Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmad Abdullah al-Mahmud said that Chad and Sudan had agreed to end hostilities against each other and to normalise relations Qatari mediated talks in Doha. However, the agreement soon broke down.
Having been selected to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup
, Qatar will be the first Middle East
ern country to host the FIFA World Cup
.
The 66th United Nations General Assembly
was presided over by former permanent representative of Qatar to the UN Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser
.
over the Hawar Islands
and the maritime boundary
dispute with Bahrain were solved by the International Court of Justice
(ICJ) in The Hague
. In the June 2001 decision, Bahrain kept the Hawar Islands
and Qit'at Jaradah but dropped claims to Janan Island and Zubarah
on mainland Qatar, while Qatar retained significant maritime areas and their resources. The agreement has furthered the goal of definitively establishing the border with Saudi Arabia and Saudi-led mediation efforts continue.
Alongside Barak's momentous encounter, some sources have said that a senior figure from Qatar paid a visit to Israel in mid-January 2008 and met with Israeli leaders to discuss the situation in Gaza and the possibility of jump starting stagnant negotiations over the release of Gilad Shalit
.
Despite Qatar's support of Hamas and its good relations with Hizbullah, Israeli leaders have maintained direct contact with the emirate. In January 2007, in his last months as vice premier, current President Shimon Peres paid a high-profile visit to the capital city of Doha.
Peres also visited Qatar in 1996, when he launched the new Israeli trade bureau there.
Foreign Affairs Minister Tzipi Livni also met with the Qatari Emir at a UN conference last year.
In April 2008, she visited Qatar where she attended a conference and met the Emir, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Oil and Gas.
However, following the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict
, Qatar hosted an emergency conference of Arab states and Iran to discuss the conflict. The Hamas
administration in Gaza, as opposed to the Fatah
-controlled Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, represented the Palestinians, undermining support for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbass. Khalid Meshaal, the leader of Hamas, President Bashar al-Assad
of Syria
, and President Ahmadinejad of Iran
urged all Arab states with remaining ties to Israel to cut them. In effect, Qatar, along with Mauritania
, cut all remaining ties with Israel. The conference showed the rising Arab support for Hamas over Fatah
as well as the influence of anti-Israeli leaders like al-Assad of Syria and Ahmadinejad of Iran.
In 2010, Qatar twice offered to restore trade relations with Israel and allow the reinstatement of the Israeli mission in Doha
, on condition that Israel allow Qatar to send building materials and money to Gaza to help rehabilitate infrastructure, and that Israel make a public statement expressing appreciation for Qatar's role and acknowledging its standing in the Middle East. Israel refused, on the grounds that Qatari supplies could be used by Hamas to build bunkers and reinforced positions from which to fire rockets at Israeli cities and towns, and that Israel did not want to get involved in the competition between Qatar and Egypt
over the Middle East mediation.
when Saudi forces allegedly attacked a Qatari border post, resulting in two deaths. Since the event relations have improved. A joint commission has been set up to demarcate the border as agreed between the two governments. Most, but not all, of the border issues have now been resolved.
In 2010, the Emir became the first Arab leader to tour South Lebanon and view the various projects it funded following the 2006 Lebanon War. He also inaugurated an hospital in Bint Jbeil
and a nearby mosque and church, while accompanied by Lebanon's President Michel Sleiman and Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri.
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
achieved full independence on 3 September 1971 in an atmosphere of cooperation with the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the United States of America and friendship with neighbouring states. Most Arab states were also among the first countries to recognise Qatar, and the state promptly gained admittance to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
and the Arab League
Arab League
The Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organisation of Arab states in North and Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia . It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan , Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a...
. Qatar established diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, and Communist China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
in 1988. Qatar was also an early member of OPEC
OPEC
OPEC is an intergovernmental organization of twelve developing countries made up of Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. OPEC has maintained its headquarters in Vienna since 1965, and hosts regular meetings...
and a founding member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).
Breakthrough as an international player
The Emir of Qatar since 1995, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-ThaniHamad bin Khalifa
Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani is the ruling Emir of the State of Qatar since 1995.Sheikh Hamad was the appointed Heir Apparent of Qatar between 1977 and 1995 and at the same time Minister of Defense. In the early 1980s he led the Supreme Planning Council, which sets the Qatar's basic economic...
, has lately been going on an expansive boost to promote Qatar as a foreign player. The first major move in this regard was the founding of Al-Jazeera.
In addition to revolutionising the free media in the Middle East and indeed the rest of the world, the Qatar funded Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways
Qatar Airways Company Q.C.S.C. , operating as Qatar Airways, is the flag carrier of Qatar. Headquartered in the Qatar Airways Tower in Doha, it operates a hub-and-spoke network, linking over 100 international destinations from its base in Doha, using a fleet of over 100 aircraft...
has gone on an aggressive expansion, which also competes with nearby Emirates Airline
Emirates Airline
Emirates is the airline based in the Emirate of Dubai part of the United Arab Emirates . Based at Dubai International Airport it is the largest airline in the Middle East, operating over 2,400 flights per week, from its hub at Terminal 3, to 111 cities in 62 countries across six continents...
, to reach more destinations and serve more passengers.
The hosting of the Asian games
2006 Asian Games
The 15th Asian Games, officially known as the XV Asiad, is Asia's Olympic-style sporting event that was held in Doha, Qatar from December 1 to December 15, 2006. Doha was the first city in its region and only the second in West Asia to host the games...
in Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
was also another boost to the state which, like the Asian games in Delhi, helped infrastructure, as well as boosting the state's profile. Furthermore, the signing of major international sports stars like Gabriel Batistuta
Gabriel Batistuta
Gabriel Omar Batistuta , nicknamed Batigol, is a former professional footballer. The prolific Argentine striker played most of his club football at Fiorentina in Italy, and he is the tenth top scorer of all-time in the Italian Serie A league, with 184 goals in 318 matches...
have helped give Qatar an image boost. Players like Sebastián Soria
Sebastián Soria
Andrés Sebastián Soria Quintana , is a naturalized Qatari footballer who plays as a striker for Qatar SC.-Early career:Soria originally had a 2-week trial at Uruguayan club Defensor Sporting in Montevideo as a youngster, however they subsequently rejected Soria, and he returned home.Soria continued...
and Márcio Emerson Passos
Marcio Emerson Passos
Márcio Passos de Albuquerque , also known as Emerson or Emerson Sheik, is a Brazilian-Qatari football striker, who plays for Corinthians Paulista.-Controversy:...
have been granted Qatari citizenship to boost their soccer
Qatar national football team
The Qatar national football team is the national team of Qatar and is controlled by the Qatar Football Association. They have never qualified for a FIFA World Cup but are hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The team has also appeared in seven AFC Asian Cup tournaments and hosted the 2011 AFC Asian...
team.
The first big coup for the Qatari government was hosting a major round of trade talks that resulted in what is referred to as the Doha Round. Although it was just a preliminary measure it has got the name of the state out, much like a marketing gimmick
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
.
The major coup for the Qatari government was solving the Lebanese political crisis
2006–2008 Lebanese political protests
The 2006–2008 Lebanese political protests were a series of protests and sit-ins that began on 1 December 2006, led by groups in Lebanon that opposed the US and Saudi-backed government of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and ended on 21 May 2008 following the Doha Agreement...
. The meeting ended with the Doha Agreement. This was a major breakthrough as more than a year of political wrangling could not yield an agreement despite pressure from the West and the [collective] Arab League
Arab League
The Arab League , officially called the League of Arab States , is a regional organisation of Arab states in North and Northeast Africa, and Southwest Asia . It was formed in Cairo on 22 March 1945 with six members: Egypt, Iraq, Transjordan , Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria. Yemen joined as a...
.
Qatar hosted peace talks between Jem and the Khartoum government announced an agreement on confidence-building measures. "There has been great progress ... and we now have an agreement," Sheikh Hamad bin Jassem Al-Thani, the Qatari prime minister, said.
Of late, the Emirate has been tremendously active in the global realm. The Sudanese government and the strongest Darfur rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement, also signed an agreement in Doha. While Doha also took a tough stand in the reaction to the Israeli invasion of Gaza. Following this reaction and apparent closeness with Iran the 2009 Arab League summit
2009 Arab League summit
The 2009 Arab League summit was held in Doha, Qatar on March 30, 2009. The Arab League defied the International Criminal Court by giving a "warm welcome" to Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, whom the Court placed a warrant on for war crimes in the Darfur genocide.-Reaction:Egyptian...
in Doha was met with further controversy although Qatar was seen as emerging further with the follow-up Arab-Latin American (Latam) summit.
On 4 May 2009, the Qatari Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ahmad Abdullah al-Mahmud said that Chad and Sudan had agreed to end hostilities against each other and to normalise relations Qatari mediated talks in Doha. However, the agreement soon broke down.
Having been selected to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup
2022 FIFA World Cup
The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be the 22nd FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that is scheduled to take place in 2022 in Qatar. The competition is scheduled to take place in June and July, although proposals have been made for a winter season. The tournament will involve...
, Qatar will be the first Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
ern country to host the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
.
The 66th United Nations General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
was presided over by former permanent representative of Qatar to the UN Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser
Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser
Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser is a Qatari diplomat and the current permanent representative of Qatar to the United Nations, appointed on 11 September 1998. Prior to his current office at the United Nations, Al-Nasser had served as the ambassador to Jordan since 1993. He has worked for his country's...
.
Bahrain
The territorial dispute with BahrainBahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
over the Hawar Islands
Hawar Islands
The Hawar Islands are a group of islands situated off the west coast of Qatar in the Gulf of Bahrain of the Persian Gulf.Despite their proximity to Qatar , the islands...
and the maritime boundary
Maritime boundary
Maritime boundary is a conceptual means of division of the water surface of the planet into maritime areas that are defined through surrounding physical geography or by human geography. As such it usually includes areas of exclusive national rights over the mineral and biological resources,...
dispute with Bahrain were solved by the International Court of Justice
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
(ICJ) in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
. In the June 2001 decision, Bahrain kept the Hawar Islands
Hawar Islands
The Hawar Islands are a group of islands situated off the west coast of Qatar in the Gulf of Bahrain of the Persian Gulf.Despite their proximity to Qatar , the islands...
and Qit'at Jaradah but dropped claims to Janan Island and Zubarah
Zubarah
Zubarah is a ruined and deserted town located in the northwestern coast of the Qatar peninsula about 105 km from the Qatari capital of Doha, part of Madinat ash Shamal municipality...
on mainland Qatar, while Qatar retained significant maritime areas and their resources. The agreement has furthered the goal of definitively establishing the border with Saudi Arabia and Saudi-led mediation efforts continue.
Israel
Qatar established trade relations with the State of Israel in 1996. In January 2008 Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak met with former Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani in Switzerland, at the Davos Economic Forum. The existence of the surreptitious talks has so far been kept secretive by Israel.Alongside Barak's momentous encounter, some sources have said that a senior figure from Qatar paid a visit to Israel in mid-January 2008 and met with Israeli leaders to discuss the situation in Gaza and the possibility of jump starting stagnant negotiations over the release of Gilad Shalit
Gilad Shalit
Gilad Shalit is an Israeli – French citizen and Israel Defense Forces soldier. On 25 June 2006, he was captured inside Israel by Hamas militants in a cross-border raid via underground tunnels near the border with Gaza. The Hamas militants held him for over five years, until he was released on...
.
Despite Qatar's support of Hamas and its good relations with Hizbullah, Israeli leaders have maintained direct contact with the emirate. In January 2007, in his last months as vice premier, current President Shimon Peres paid a high-profile visit to the capital city of Doha.
Peres also visited Qatar in 1996, when he launched the new Israeli trade bureau there.
Foreign Affairs Minister Tzipi Livni also met with the Qatari Emir at a UN conference last year.
In April 2008, she visited Qatar where she attended a conference and met the Emir, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Oil and Gas.
However, following the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict
2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict
The Gaza War, known as Operation Cast Lead in Israel and as the Gaza Massacre in the Arab world, was a three-week bombing and invasion of the Gaza Strip by Israel, and hundreds of rocket attacks on south of Israel which...
, Qatar hosted an emergency conference of Arab states and Iran to discuss the conflict. The Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
administration in Gaza, as opposed to the Fatah
Fatah
Fataḥ is a major Palestinian political party and the largest faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization , a multi-party confederation. In Palestinian politics it is on the left-wing of the spectrum; it is mainly nationalist, although not predominantly socialist. Its official goals are found...
-controlled Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, represented the Palestinians, undermining support for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbass. Khalid Meshaal, the leader of Hamas, President Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad
Bashar al-Assad is the President of Syria and Regional Secretary of the Ba'ath Party. His father Hafez al-Assad ruled Syria for 29 years until his death in 2000. Al-Assad was elected in 2000, re-elected in 2007, unopposed each time.- Early Life :...
of Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
, and President Ahmadinejad of Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
urged all Arab states with remaining ties to Israel to cut them. In effect, Qatar, along with Mauritania
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
, cut all remaining ties with Israel. The conference showed the rising Arab support for Hamas over Fatah
Fatah
Fataḥ is a major Palestinian political party and the largest faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization , a multi-party confederation. In Palestinian politics it is on the left-wing of the spectrum; it is mainly nationalist, although not predominantly socialist. Its official goals are found...
as well as the influence of anti-Israeli leaders like al-Assad of Syria and Ahmadinejad of Iran.
In 2010, Qatar twice offered to restore trade relations with Israel and allow the reinstatement of the Israeli mission in Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
, on condition that Israel allow Qatar to send building materials and money to Gaza to help rehabilitate infrastructure, and that Israel make a public statement expressing appreciation for Qatar's role and acknowledging its standing in the Middle East. Israel refused, on the grounds that Qatari supplies could be used by Hamas to build bunkers and reinforced positions from which to fire rockets at Israeli cities and towns, and that Israel did not want to get involved in the competition between Qatar and Egypt
Foreign relations of Egypt
Egypt's foreign policy operates along a non-aligned level. Factors such as population size, historical events, military strength, diplomatic expertise and a strategic geographical position give Egypt extensive political influence in the Middle East, Africa, and within the Non-Aligned Movement as a...
over the Middle East mediation.
Arab World
In September 1992, tensions arose with Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
when Saudi forces allegedly attacked a Qatari border post, resulting in two deaths. Since the event relations have improved. A joint commission has been set up to demarcate the border as agreed between the two governments. Most, but not all, of the border issues have now been resolved.
In 2010, the Emir became the first Arab leader to tour South Lebanon and view the various projects it funded following the 2006 Lebanon War. He also inaugurated an hospital in Bint Jbeil
Bint Jbeil
Bint Jbeil is the second largest town in the Nabatiye Governorate in Southern Lebanon.The town has an estimated population of 30,000. Its exact population is unknown, because Lebanon has not conducted a population census since 1932.-History:...
and a nearby mosque and church, while accompanied by Lebanon's President Michel Sleiman and Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri.
See also
- List of diplomatic missions in Qatar
- List of diplomatic missions of Qatar
- Territorial disputes in the Persian GulfTerritorial disputes in the Persian GulfThis article deals with territorial disputes between states of in and around the Persian Gulf in Southwestern Asia. These states include Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates , and Oman.-Background:...
- Visa requirements for Qatari citizensVisa requirements for Qatari citizensQatari citizens do not need a visa to enter other member states of the GCC. They also have the right to take up jobs in those countries. Similarly, citizens of other GCC states do not need a visa to enter Qatar...