Official relations between the two countries go back to 2007
Doha – The visit of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to the Hellenic Republic is of a new dimension, in light of the steady development of relations between the State of Qatar and the Hellenic Republic, the common aspirations of the two countries towards close cooperation and a solid partnership, and the mutual aspiration of the leaders of the two countries to expand development paths and diversify cooperation in all fields, especially since the two countries are witnessing clear economic growth and great potential for developing investments, especially in the fields of energy, trade, transportation, culture, education, tourism and sports.
The visit also represents a great opportunity to exchange opinions on recent developments in regional and international stances.
On Feb. 24, HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani met with HE Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic Kyriakos Mitsotakis in his office at Lusail Palace.
During the meeting, they discussed political and economic bilateral relations between the two countries and exchanged views on the most prominent regional and international issues, especially developments in the Gaza Strip and the occupied Palestinian territories.
The visit of HE Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic Kyriakos Mitsotakis to Doha was the second following his first visit on Aug. 22, 2022, where he met with HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani at the Amiri Diwan, in an official talks session to discuss aspects of developing joint coordination, especially in areas of economy and investment, trade and transportation, energy and culture, education, tourism and sports, in addition to exchanging views on regional and international issues.
Official relations between the two countries go back to 2007, when the two countries\’ embassies were opened in the capitals of Athens and Doha, and the exchange of official visits began at the highest levels between senior officials in the two countries. HE Former President of the Hellenic Republic Karolos Papoulias visited Doha in 2006, while HH the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani visited Athens in 2007. Bilateral relations continued to develop with the signing of numerous agreements and memoranda of understanding in the areas of trade, media, air transport, military cooperation, tourism, culture, energy, investments, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and participation in projects in the two countries.
Since the convening of the first session of the Arab-Hellenic Economic Forum on Sep. 14, 2006, the Qatar Businessmen Association has participated in the first edition in Athens under the slogan “Historic Relations – New Horizons for Cooperation,” in the context of promoting and developing cooperation relations between Greece and the Arab countries, and in celebration of the silver jubilee of the establishment of the Chamber of Commerce.
In 2008, a Qatari-Greek agreement was signed to avoid double taxation. The two countries also have an agreement for economic and technical cooperation, which was ratified by the State of Qatar on Sep. 15, 2009. Agreements and memoranda of understanding were also signed in May 2010 to amend some provisions of the air transport agreement, and to exchange news between the official agencies of the two countries, in addition to a memorandum of understanding in the field of tourism cooperation and the energy sector, in light of the State of Qatar\’s openness to projects in the field of energy and its industries, and the contribution of Greek companies to Qatari construction works.
In the framework of strengthening cooperation between the two countries, the State of Qatar participated in two editions of the “EU-Arab World Summit” in 2016 and 2017, which was held in Athens; to support partnership, strengthen cooperation in various fields, and enhance economic relations between the European Union and the Arab countries.
In May 2018, HE former Minister of Economy and Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al-Thani met with Chairman of Greece-Qatar Business Council Panagiotis Mihalos to discuss strengthening the work of the Qatar-Greece Business Council, which was established in 2015 as a platform for dialogue between business leaders, decision-makers in government agencies, and those concerned with strengthening bilateral relations between the two countries.
During the meeting that saw the attendance of economic officials from both countries, HE Chairman of Qatar Chamber Sheikh Khalifa bin Jassim bin Mohammed Al-Thani pointed out that the volume of trade exchange between the two countries, which is estimated at around USD 100 million, is not commensurate with the available capabilities and ambitions of the two friendly countries, but there is a common interest in continuing to develop the path of bilateral relations and advancing them to a broader horizon, especially since there are promising Qatari investments in Greece, in the energy, tourism, hospitality, and real estate sectors.
Source: Zawya
