Demirel arrives in Doha tomorrow

A well-informed source in Doha told the London-based al-Hayat daily that Qatar and Turkey will sign on Saturday a political decision in order to "develop relations and exchange viewpoints concerning regional and international issues."

The agreement will be signed during a visit to Doha by Turkish President Suleiman Demirel. The visit will last for two days. The Turkish ambassador in Doha, Mustafa Orgwan, said that talks between the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad Bin Khaleifa al-Thani, and Demirel will deal "with means of supporting relations," noting that this visit embodies the two countries's desire to develop bilateral links.

Turkey is expected to study the possibility of importing gas from Qatar in the future. It is also expected that talks between the two sides will deal with "regional relations," to include Turkish-Syrian relations, the situation in the Gulf region and the Middle East peace process development.

Following his visit to Qatar, the Turkish president will head for Bahrain for a short visit.

On the other hand, Sheikh Hamad will start next week an Asian tour which will cover Pakistan, India, China, Korea, Japan, Thailand and Kazakhstan. During his tour two-week tour, the ruler of Qatar will give top priority to the economic side.

Agreements between Qatar and each of the said countries will be signed, including an agreement with India to export Qatari gas.