US Embassy Chief of Mission in Qatar and Charge d'Affaires William Grant stressed that the strategic partnership between the two sides has reached unprecedented heights at all levels, adding that Qatar has been a great friend and ally to the U.S. in many ways.

In remarks to Qatar News Agency, Grant said that the repeated visits of H.H. the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to the U.S. are a reflection of not only the strong but rapidly growing bilateral relationship.

The US Charge d'Affaires said that during the visit, H.H. the Amir will meet with President Donald trump and senior most leaders in the US government to discuss bilateral relations and the threats facing the region, especially that the two sides enjoy a long-standing and multi-faceted military relationship based on shared goals: combat terrorism, promote regional security and stability, and combat criminal threats in the Gulf.

In this respect Grant praised Qatar-US cooperation in combating transnational threats including human trafficking, money laundering, and combatting terrorism financing, stressing that Qatar-US relationship is more than just a military or law enforcement partnership. "The US and Qatar enjoy a well-balanced and diverse relationship," he said.

Trade relations will be at forefront of the talks during H.H. the Amir's visit to US, Grant said pointing that new agreements will be signed. He praised the partnership, recently announced between Qatar Petroleum and US firm Chevron Phillips Chemical to develop the region's largest ethane cracker in Ras Laffan. "We look forward to seeing this facility come online in 2025," he said.

Grant went on saying: " We recognize the ever-growing people-to-people ties between Qatar and the US. Thousands of students from Qatar choose to pursue their higher education at more than 3,000 colleges and universities in the U.S. which are consistently ranked as the top-performing schools in the world."

He pointed to the growing numbers of Qatari tourists who enjoy their vacations in the diverse landscapes of the US, stressing that students, educators, health practitioners, adventure seekers, and families define the spirit of the Qatari-US friendship.

The US Charge d'Affaires borrowed his country's State Secretary's statement when he visited Qatar last January "the Gulf conflict lasted for a long time," stressing that resolving the dispute is in the interest of all parties in the region, as well as the interest of the United States. "Now more than ever, it is imperative that the GCC is united against regional threats. We have important work to do together," Grant said.

He lauded Qatar's generous role in providing assistance to needy families in Gaza and the West Bank, noting that US shares Qatar's concern about the need for tangible steps to improve the economic conditions for Palestinians.

Source: QNA
Image credit: US Embassy Qatar

Follow us on our social media channels: @ILQlive @ILQlive @ILoveQtr ILoveQatar

Sumaica Asad

Start a discussion