Doha, February 23 (QNA) – The working visit of HE Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic Kyriakos Mitsotakis to Doha comes at a time when relations between the State of Qatar and Greece are enjoying a distinguished period of joint cooperation, with aspirations for further coordination and expansion of existing partnerships, especially in the areas of economy, investment, trade, transportation, energy, culture, education, tourism, sports, and other areas of interest to both countries.
This is the second visit of the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic to the State of Qatar. He visited Doha on Aug. 22, 2022, where he was received by HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and held an official talks session with him. The meeting discussed ways to develop joint cooperation, especially in the areas of economy and investment, in addition to exchanging views on the most prominent regional and international issues.
The embassies of the two countries were opened in the capitals of Athens and Doha in 2007. Since then, there has been an exchange of official visits at the highest levels between senior officials of 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, 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 issued on March 15, 2007, and ratified by the State of Qatar on September 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.
Economic and trade relations have witnessed development since the establishment of the Qatar-Greece Business Council in 2015, to be a platform for dialogue between business leaders and decision-makers in government agencies and bodies concerned with promoting bilateral relations between the two countries. The Qatari-Greek Business Meeting in the Construction and Building Sector was held in Doha in April 2019, attended by the Chairman of the Greece-Qatar Business Council Panagiotis Mihalos, and several Qatari businessmen, and representatives of 25 Greek companies specializing in construction and construction.
First Vice President of Qatar Chamber Mohammed bin Ahmed bin Twar Al Kuwari said during the meeting that the number of Greek companies operating in the State of Qatar is estimated at 64 companies; including eight fully owned Greek companies, and 56 Greek companies with Qatari partnership. He noted that the Qatar Chamber supports all efforts that contribute to strengthening the partnership between Qatari companies and their counterparts in Greece in all economic and commercial sectors, which would benefit the economies of the two countries.
The developed relations between the two countries include an agreement between the governments of the State of Qatar and the Hellenic Republic regarding visa exemption for holders of diplomatic, service, or special passports, issued on May 2, 2019, and ratified by the State of Qatar on March 2, 2020.
The most recent Qatari participation in the Arab-Hellenic Economic Forum was on Oct. 27, 2022, through the Qatar Chamber.
In a statement, the Chamber said that trade between Qatar and Greece grew by 120 percent in 2021, reaching about QR 897 million, compared to QR 409 million in 2020, noting the convening of the second Gulf-Greek Business Forum within the forum’s activities to discuss investment relations, available opportunities, and the experience of both parties in the food industries sector.
In January 2017, the former Greek Minister of Defense, Panos Kammenos, made an official visit to Doha, accompanied by representatives of Greek defense industries, and held talks on defense cooperation between the two countries. Kammenos also made a new visit to Doha to participate in the Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX).
In 2017, HE the former Greek Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, George Katrougalos, met with HE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sultan bin Saad Al Muraikhi in Doha in May and in Athens in November. In May 2017, Deputy Minister of Agricultural Development and Foodstuffs of the Hellenic Republic Vassilis Kokalis visited Doha and discussed with Qatari officials ways of bilateral cooperation in agriculture and food industries.
Greece, under the current Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has regained its strength and achieved a growth rate of 8.3 percent in 2021 and 5.9 percent in 2022. Mitsotakis succeeded in easing the burden of taxes imposed by the European rescue plan following the aftermath of COVID-19, which deprived Athens of tourism revenues, one of its main economic pillars.
Government statistics show that Greece has attracted increasing investments in recent years, with foreign direct investment reaching its highest level in 20 years in 2021, while total fixed capital formation increased by 12.7 percent during the first three months of 2023.
The government says it is working on building a floating unit to convert liquefied natural gas into its natural state off the coastal city of Alexandroupoli, with plans to build other units nearby. It is keen for Qatari investments interested in the energy and liquefied natural gas sector, providing them with opportunities to participate in major infrastructure projects, data storage and transportation, digital economy, renewable energy, tourism, and real estate.
Greece, located in southeastern Europe, has a population of approximately 10.75 million people, according to the 2019 census, and occupies a strategic location at the crossroads between Europe, Asia, and Africa. It is located on the southern tip of the Balkan Peninsula and has the longest coastline in the Mediterranean basin and 11th in the world, and includes a large number of islands, 227 of which are inhabited.
The capital, Athens, has a unique heritage and cultural value in Greece, reflecting the country’s rich historical legacy with 18 sites in the city listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. It is considered the cradle of Western civilization, and the first century AD saw the establishment of the Greek Orthodox Church, which shaped modern Greek identity. The modern state of Greece emerged in 1830 after the War of Independence. (QNA)