Senior Advisor at the Soufan Group and former senior Middle East analyst at the Congressional Research Service (CRS) Kenneth Katzman said that US-Qatar relations are concrete, expecting them to become stronger and develop in the coming years, as a result of Washington and Doha seeing eye to eye on various issues and topics.
Speaking to Qatar News Agency on the participation of HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani in 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Katzman expected the speech to touch on a lot of important issues, resulting in it receiving a thorough coverage by media outlets and analysts. He indicated that His Highness does not only discuss relations with the US, but also tackles a wide range of issues such as climate change, poverty, and ways to improve the lives of people living in areas in need of attention, such as in Africa, as well as investment, as His Highness enjoying respect from the United Nations and world countries.
He expected His Highness’s speech to be broad, but with a focus on the Gulf and ways to reduce tensions in the Middle East, stressing that Qatar has become a pivotal country, a major exporter of gas, and a close partner of the United States.
Given the momentum that the UNGA discussions have with the participation of different countries and diverse cultures with various ethnicities, Katzman expected HH the Amir to discuss global issues that interest numerous countries, such as energy, climate change, poverty, trade and the economy, and developments in the gulf region, especially that the US and Qatar are close partners in regional affairs, as the two countries developed a closer partnership over the years.
He said that the United States relies on its partnership with Qatar to secure the Arabian Gulf region, especially in light of the major role Doha plays in Afghanistan, helping to build bridges with the ruling Taliban.
Regarding his view on the future of US-Qatar relations, Katzman saw that relations will continue to develop, particularly given how both sides agree on central security and economic issues. He also highlighted how Qatar is a large exporter of natural gas, a fuel considered as being the cleanest-burning hydrocarbon, thus mitigating climate change.
As for bilateral military relations and Qatar’s general contribution to enhancing regional and global security, the Senior Advisor at the Soufan Group praised Al Udeid Air Base, considering it a huge and advanced military facility that plays a pivotal role, elaborating that without this airbase, the US would find it difficult to demonstrate its aerial power regionally, especially that the US air and naval presence serves as the decisive deterrent when it comes to a number of matters.
Regarding mutual trade relations, Katzman said that they are growing with every passing year, especially in the field of natural gas.
He expressed his belief that there is room for further cooperation between US companies and their Qatari counterparts when it comes to natural gas, explaining that Doha is investing even more in the United States through the Qatar Investment Authority, as part of Qatar’s efforts to enhance its trade and economic relations with Washington.
The Senior Advisor at the Soufan Group elaborated that it is market needs that determine investments, saying that the Qatar Investment Authority does not only seek investments of political significance, but also seeks profitable ones, therefore, it will be up to the market to determine what sort of investments Qatar opts for.
Senior Advisor at the Soufan Group and former senior Middle East analyst at the Congressional Research Service (CRS) Kenneth Katzman concluded his exclusive statements to QNA by stressing his conviction that the speech of HH the Amir before the UNGA will carry a number of ideas and proposals to resolve a number of international issues, particularly the Russian-Ukrainian crisis. He further stressed the keenness of analysts who followed His Highness’s previous speeches with great interest, noting that the interest in this year’s speech will not deviate from the established trend, as it will receive extensive analysis.
Source: Qatar News Agency