Qatar, France for boosting military relations

The Qatari Army's chief of staff, Maj. Gen. Hamad Bin Ali al-Ateyah, met on Saturday in Doha with his French counterpart, Gen. Jan Pierre Calash. The Qatar News Agency said that during the meeting the two sides reviewed bilateral relations and means of supporting and developing them in all fields, especially in the military areas.

In October 1998, Paris and Doha signed an agreement to strengthen their cooperation in the defense realm. The agreement, in particular, calls for settin up a committee, including periodical meetings for the two countries' armies' chiefs of staff.