Qatari emir pays visit to Athens – Energy, tourism, and defence on the agenda

The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, is making his first – official – visit to Greece, a few weeks after the visit of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to Doha at the end of February – a meeting in which the Qatari side had expressed the will to strengthen cooperation with Greece in the economic and investment sectors.

At approximately 11:00 a.m., he entered the Presidential Palace and met with Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou.

Following this meeting, he will meet with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at Maximos Palace.

The Emir of Qatar’s visit and meeting at the Maximos Palace with Kyriakos Mitsotakis are expected to signal the strengthening of bilateral cooperation in several sectors, with an emphasis on the economy and investments and energy, tourism, and defence.

At the same time, regional developments, including the humanitarian tragedy in Gaza and EU-Qatar relations, are on the agenda.

Qatar is an important country in the region that has taken on a mediating role in the negotiations for the release of the hostages from Hamas – a role that Mitsotakis acknowledged during the last meeting he had with the Emir of Qatar in Doha.

During his visit to Athens, the Emir of Qatar is accompanied by the head of his office, the ministers of Transport, Energy, Trade and Industry, and Culture, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Director of Studies and Research, and the CEO of the Qatar Investment Authority, one of the largest state investment bodies in the world.

On the Greek side, the ministers of Foreign Affairs, Defence, Energy, Culture, Shipping, and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs responsible for the economy will participate in the extended talks.

Al Thani met with the president of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, on Tuesday during the emir’s first official visit to Cyprus. During their meeting, they expressed their mutual commitment to enhancing bilateral relations.

The emir arrived at the Presidential Palace accompanied by several Qatari ministers. He was greeted by Christodoulides. This was followed by a private meeting between the two leaders.

Christodoulides welcomed Sheikh Tamim, stating: “This is your first visit to Cyprus. We are in the same region and have excellent relations, but there are many prospects for further strengthening our bilateral relations and our cooperation in the region. At the same time, you can consider Cyprus, an EU member-state, as your ambassador in Brussels, and I look forward to our consultations to strengthen our relations even more.”

The emir thanked Christodoulides for his invitation, saying: “We indeed have excellent relations with great prospects, especially in the fields of economy and investment. Last night, during the private dinner, we had the opportunity to discuss various issues, and I look forward to the talks we will have later.”

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