Iranian, Qatari talks in Tehran
Qatar-Iran, Politics, 4/26/1999

Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad Bin Jasem Bin Jaber al-Thani on Sunday made a short visit to Iran during which he held talks with his Iranian counterpart, Kamal Kharazi, and heard from Iranian President Muhammad Khatami on the need for better relations between Iran and Qatar for the benefit of the region and the Islamic world as a whole.

The Iranian national news agency, IRNA, reported that the Qatari minister conveyed the greetings of the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad Bin Khaleifa al-Thani to President Khatami and renewed the invitation extended to the Iranian President to visit Qatar. This visit by the Iranian president is expected to be held in the middle of May in the context of a tour that will cover also Syria and Saudi Arabia.

The visit of the Qatari minister comes at a time when relations between the two countries are witnessing remarkable progress, while Qatar is approaching assuming the presidency of the OIC in succession of Iran as the OIC's forthcoming summit will be held in October, 2000 in Doha.

Relations between Qatar and Iran witnessed its first breakthrough in 1991 when the current Emir of Qatar, who was then a crown prince, signed an agreement with Tehran to deliver amounts of potable water from southern Iran to Qatar at a cost of US $18 billion.

The closeness between the two countries increased following the killing of a police guard on the border between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, as Iran sided with Qatar.

Relations continued to be good between the two countries, despite the facts that the water project between the two countries was not implemented and Iran opposed convening the economic conference on the Middle East and North Africa held in Doha in 1997.

Previous Stories:
  Emir of Qatar concludes Asian tour   (4/23/1999)
  Qatar makes preperations for Khatami's visit   (4/23/1999)
  A message to Qatar's ruler from Iranian counterpart   (2/1/1999)

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