Doha: Advisor to the Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Majid bin Mohammed Al Ansari confirmed that preparations have been completed for the launch of the Second Qatar-UK Strategic Dialogue, set to take place in Doha next Sunday, under the chairmanship of HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani and HE UK Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs David Lammy under the theme of partners for the future.
In a statement to the Qatar News Agency (QNA), Dr. Al Ansari noted that the second strategic dialogue follows the State visit made by HH the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to London last December, during which His Highness held talks with HE UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, where both sides agreed on pathways to enhance the partnership in the fields of commerce, investment, cooperation on global challenges, mutual growth progress, technological innovation, transitioning to a sustainable green economy, life sciences, creative industries, cultural collaboration, and continued cooperation in conflict resolution and knowledge exchange.
The Advisor to the Prime Minister and Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the second strategic dialogue represents another milestone in advancing the Qatar-UK partnership, reaffirming both countries' continued commitment to strengthening cooperation across various fields.
He added that the dialogue will focus on four main pillars: future prosperity, a secure future, a fairer future, and future ties between the two peoples, with eight working groups operating under these pillars.
These groups will address areas including: defense, security and counterterrorism, commerce and investment, science, technology and innovation, development, mediation, culture and education, heritage, and health.
Dr. Al Ansari explained that the dialogue will work to deepen the Qatar-UK partnership in areas such as economy, commerce, investment, defense, and security, as well as cooperation in counterterrorism.
He added that the dialogue will also witness the launch of a working group focused on technology, innovation, and science, as well as a health working group, and will explore new opportunities for cooperation in advanced technologies and artificial intelligence, including their role in supporting healthcare applications and health data systems.
Dr. Al Ansari also said that the strategic dialogue will enhance joint coordination and cooperation to address global challenges, and will include the first meeting of a working group on development and the formation of a mediation task force. He noted that both countries are working together, following a joint funding commitment of $100 million for humanitarian and development programs, to explore joint initiatives in priority regions, including Gaza, Sudan, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, and Bangladesh, as well as to build capacity in peacebuilding and conflict resolution in support of international peace efforts.