The Emir of Qatar is negotiating gas in Prague, he met Zeman at the Castle
Emir of Qatar Tamim bin Hamad Sani in the middle of the meeting in Prague with leading Czech statesmen. In the early afternoon, together with President Miloš Zeman, he was at the signing of an agreement on economic cooperation, after notification by the European Commission, the country will also approve an agreement on investment protection. Zeman said this at the press conference after the meeting. They also touched on the issue of the Qatari embassy in the Czech Republic, which, according to the emir, will be opened in a short time, probably in the coming months.
According to information from the Castle of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Jozef Síkela (for STAN) signed an intergovernmental agreement on economic, commercial and technical cooperation with his Qatari counterpart. Minister of Finance and Deputy Prime Minister Zbyněk Stanjura (ODS) also signed a declaration of mutual cooperation aimed at concluding a bilateral investment agreement with the Qatari Ministry of Industry.
According to Zeman, an agreement on the prevention of double taxation had already been concluded. “In addition to the direct line between Prague and Doha, there is a prospect of establishing an embassy of Qatar in the Czech Republic in the near future, our embassy in Doha is already functioning,” said Zeman. He appreciated the friendly discussion and believes that the statesmen laid the foundation for future strategic, i.e. long-term, cooperation.
The President’s chancellor, Vratislav Mynář, told journalists that Zeman and the Emir of Qatar will hold a natural gas conference also on the possibilities of the time frame. “The Emir said that they are completely open, that today he will give instructions to the executive ministers to conclude an agreement as soon as possible,” he noted.
Tamim bin Hamad Sani said that although relations are of exceptional quality, trade exchange and joint investments have not yet reached a sufficient level. With Zeman or energetically also about cooperation in the health sector. According to Mynár, Qatar has shown interest in investing in PPP projects, specifically, for example, in the construction of a highway. “(Transportation) Minister Martin Kupka (ODS) also mentioned a possible investment in connecting the capital city of Prague by train to Václav Havel Airport,” added the chancellor.
According to the emir, the embassy of Qatar in the Czech Republic should be opened in the coming months. The Qatari ambassador to the Czech Republic is now based in Berlin.
The Qatari delegation also planned an afternoon meeting with Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS) and other government representatives in the Vladislav Hall. This was attended by Jan Lipavský (Pirates), among others, from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The emir’s working day will end with a dinner with Czech businessmen again in the Vladislav Hall at Prague Castle.
After the government’s meeting, Fiala said to the Echo24 newspaper that there is an intense interest from both sides in mutual cooperation. According to him, Qatar has the opportunity to help Europe in the energy sector.
The rulers of Qatar came to the Czech Republic for the first official visit in history. He is accompanied by a large delegation, which should include, for example, the head of his office, who is among Qatar’s influential figures, the foreign minister or the executive director of the Qatar investment fund. In addition to meeting with Czech representatives, the Emir also plans to hold several bilateral meetings with the participants of Thursday’s European Political Community.