EU, ME peace envoy meets with Qatar's foreign minister

The European Union's Middle East peace process envoy, Miguel Angel Moratinos, held talks on Tuesday in Doha with Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Jasem Bin Jaber al-Thani relating to the Middle East peace process.

Qatar News Agency reported that Moratinos conveyed to the Qatari authorities the importance Qatar represents concerning the EU in the Middle East peace process. He stressed that the role played by Qatar in this respect "has exceeded political contributions to economic backing," SANA reported.

Qatar and Oman, are the only two Arab countries in the Gulf region who lifted their direct boycotts of Israel. Israel opened a trade office in both Doha and Muscat in 1996 under the reign of Israeli Premier Shimon Peres.

Doha froze relations with Israel after Benjamin Netanyahu assumed power in 1996.