In its editorial titled “Historical Relations,” Al-Watan said that HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani arrived Sunday in Rome on a state visit to the friendly Italian Republic, which has deep-rooted historical relations with Qatar, backed by distinguished partnerships.
Al-Watan affirmed that His Highness’ visit and talks would contribute deeply to strengthening relations, especially those related to the economic and investment aspects. The energy sector, in particular, is one of the main pillars of cooperation between the two countries as it deepened the bonds of long-term friendship and enhanced bilateral trade exchanges.
There are numerous agreements and memoranda of understanding between Qatar and Italy, covering cooperation in areas such as investment, economy, alternative energy, health, sports, culture, tourism, and food security. In addition, the two countries formed a joint business council to enhance economic relations and explore opportunities for bilateral cooperation, the paper added.
Al-Watan noted the significance of HH the Amir’s visit to Italy in view of Qatar’s pivotal role in securing energy supplies to Europe, and the current regional and international challenges.
The visit would have a major impact, whether on the future of bilateral relations, or in terms of pushing towards peaceful solutions that restore security and stability in the region, Al-Watan concluded.
For its part, English newspaper, The Peninsula, affirmed that HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thanis visits to Italy and Germany mark decades of distinguished relations and growing cooperation between Qatar and the two European countries. Qatars ties with the two countries are expected to enter a new phase of strategic partnership at all levels, boosting trade and investment cooperation.
In its editorial titled “Qatars Growing Ties with EU Nations,” The Peninsula said that trade between Qatar and Italy witnessed remarkable growth in recent years, reaching nearly QR 20 billion in 2023 compared to QR 11.1 billion in
2018, with a growth rate estimated at 80%, while the volume of trade with Germany reached QR 7.1 billion in 2023, up from 6.8 billion in 2022, an increase of 4.4%, which reflects the rising economic cooperation and trade exchange.
The newspaper indicated that relations between Qatar and the countries of the EU have witnessed a turning point, and the foundation for a broader and deeper economic cooperation has been laid out.
Between 2018 and 2022, Qatari exports to the EU countries rose more than eleven-fold, rising from nearly QR 9 billion to around QR 106.7 billion, while Qatari imports from EU countries witnessed a relatively moderate growth of 16.6%, reaching approximately QR 33 billion in 2022, The Peninsula said.
The active role played by Qatar in ensuring energy security has helped both countries and enabled them to compensate for a large part of the gas supply shortage resulting from the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, adding that there is a steady increase in Italian imports of Qatari gas and
oil over the past few years, from 1.4 billion euros in 2018 to about 5.2 billion euros in 2022, The Peninsula concluded.
Source: Qatar News Agency